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NephrologyRandomized Clinical Trial4 min read

Short-term effects of combinations of heart failure therapies on blood pressure, kidney function and serum potassium

Here we performed a pooled individual participant-level analysis and developed a prediction model to estimate the short-term (2-12 weeks) treatment effects of combination medical therapy on systolic blood pressure (SBP), diastolic BP, estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) and serum potassium.

Published in Nature MedicineRandomized controlled trial
5/5 Gold Standard
Evidence Meter · 5/5

Gold-Standard Human Evidence

Backed by randomized controlled human trials or a formal meta-analysis pooling multiple clinical studies.

Source

Detection Window

12 weeks

These analyses provide individualized estimates of the expected treatment effect for any combination of medical therapies in HFrEF and HFmrEF/HFpEF on BP, kidney function and serum potassium.

What Changes?

Nephrology · Randomized Clinical Trial

Current Standard

Conventional nephrology practice relies on standard-of-care monitoring and existing regimens prior to this .

New Finding

For HFrEF, the estimated treatment effects of ARNI + SGLT2i + sMRA on and serum potassium were -6.8 (-7.9, -5.4) ml min -1 m -2 and +0.30 (0.25, 0.35) mmol l -1 , respectively.

3 Key Takeaways

Plain English Summary
  1. 01Core Finding

    A total of 38,753 participants (16,877 with heart failure with reduced ejection fraction (HFrEF) and 21,876 with heart failure with mildly reduced or preserved ejection fraction (HFmrEF/HFpEF)) across nine randomized trials were included in the analysis, which tested angiotensin receptor blocker-neprilysin inhibitor (ARNI), steroidal mineralocorticoid receptor antagonist (sMRA), nonsteroidal MRA (nsMRA) and sodium glucose cotransporter-2 inhibitors (SGLT2i).

  2. 02Study Evidence

    Tested in a (38,753 participants) at the randomized clinical trial stage.

  3. 03Practical Meaning

    Controlled trial findings show causal benefit under protocol rules; real-world effectiveness can vary across patients.

What This Means for You

For HFrEF, the estimated treatment effects of ARNI + SGLT2i + sMRA on and serum potassium were -6.8 (-7.9, -5.4) ml min -1 m -2 and +0.30 (0.25, 0.35) mmol l -1 , respectively. For HFmrEF/HFpEF, the treatment effects for combination SGLT2i + sMRA and SGLT2i + nsMRA on were -7.7 (-8.9, -6.4) and -6.1 (-6.7, -5.5) ml min -1 m -2 , respectively and for serum potassium were +0.34 (0.29, 0.38) and +0.21 (0.18, 0.25) mmol l -1 , respectively.

These analyses provide individualized estimates of the expected treatment effect for any combination of medical therapies in HFrEF and HFmrEF/HFpEF on BP, kidney function and serum potassium.

The Discovery

Among the most commonly cited reasons for failure to initiate comprehensive medical therapy in patients with heart failure are concerns relating to hypotension, kidney dysfunction and hyperkalemia. Here we performed a pooled individual participant-level analysis and developed a prediction model to estimate the short-term (2-12 weeks) treatment effects of combination medical therapy on systolic blood pressure (SBP), diastolic BP, estimated glomerular filtration rate () and serum potassium. A total of 38,753 participants (16,877 with heart failure with reduced ejection fraction (HFrEF) and 21,876 with heart failure with mildly reduced or preserved ejection fraction (HFmrEF/HFpEF)) across nine randomized trials were included in the analysis, which tested angiotensin receptor blocker-neprilysin inhibitor (ARNI), steroidal mineralocorticoid receptor antagonist (sMRA), nonsteroidal MRA (nsMRA) and sodium glucose cotransporter-2 inhibitors (SGLT2i). For HFrEF, the estimated mean (95% prediction intervals (PIs)) treatment effect on SBP with combination ARNI + SGLT2i + sMRA therapy was -9.2 (-10.6 to -7.8) mmHg. For HFmrEF/HFpEF, the estimated mean (95% PI) treatment effects on SBP with SGLT2i + sMRA therapy and with SGLT2i + nsMRA therapy were -5.9 (-7.3, -4.6) and -4.8 (-5.7, -4.0) mmHg, respectively.

How It Works, Simply

This nephrology research focuses on receptor targeting. Researchers evaluated it using a randomized controlled trial (38,753 participants) at the randomized clinical trial stage of medical research.

3 Key Takeaways

Clinical Takeaways
  1. 01Core Finding

    A total of 38,753 participants (16,877 with heart failure with reduced ejection fraction (HFrEF) and 21,876 with heart failure with mildly reduced or preserved ejection fraction (HFmrEF/HFpEF)) across nine randomized trials were included in the analysis, which tested angiotensin receptor blocker-neprilysin inhibitor (ARNI), steroidal mineralocorticoid receptor antagonist (sMRA), nonsteroidal MRA (nsMRA) and sodium glucose cotransporter-2 inhibitors (SGLT2i).

  2. 02Study Evidence

    Tested in a (38,753 participants) at the randomized clinical trial stage.

  3. 03Practical Meaning

    Controlled trial findings show causal benefit under protocol rules; real-world effectiveness can vary across patients.

Key Numbers

Quantitative Study Readout
38,753 participants
Study Cohort
01

Biological Mechanism & Study Design

Study Design & Cohort

Randomized controlled trial

Randomized controlled trial (38,753 participants) · Randomized Clinical Trial

Biological Pathway & Modality

Receptor targeting

Intervention: Short-term effects of combinations of heart failure therapies on blood pressure

02

Experimental Findings & Endpoints

Among the most commonly cited reasons for failure to initiate comprehensive medical therapy in patients with heart failure are concerns relating to hypotension, kidney dysfunction and hyperkalemia.

Here we performed a pooled individual participant-level analysis and developed a prediction model to estimate the short-term (2-12 weeks) treatment effects of combination medical therapy on systolic blood pressure (SBP), diastolic BP, estimated glomerular filtration rate () and serum potassium. A total of 38,753 participants (16,877 with heart failure with reduced ejection fraction (HFrEF) and 21,876 with heart failure with mildly reduced or preserved ejection fraction (HFmrEF/HFpEF)) across nine randomized trials were included in the analysis, which tested angiotensin receptor blocker-neprilysin inhibitor (ARNI), steroidal mineralocorticoid receptor antagonist (sMRA), nonsteroidal MRA (nsMRA) and sodium glucose cotransporter-2 inhibitors (SGLT2i).

For HFrEF, the estimated mean (95% prediction intervals (PIs)) treatment effect on SBP with combination ARNI + SGLT2i + sMRA therapy was -9.2 (-10.6 to -7.8) mmHg. For HFmrEF/HFpEF, the estimated mean (95% PI) treatment effects on SBP with SGLT2i + sMRA therapy and with SGLT2i + nsMRA therapy were -5.9 (-7.3, -4.6) and -4.8 (-5.7, -4.0) mmHg, respectively.

03

Clinical Translation & Practice Context

For HFrEF, the estimated treatment effects of ARNI + SGLT2i + sMRA on and serum potassium were -6.8 (-7.9, -5.4) ml min -1 m -2 and +0.30 (0.25, 0.35) mmol l -1 , respectively.

For HFmrEF/HFpEF, the treatment effects for combination SGLT2i + sMRA and SGLT2i + nsMRA on were -7.7 (-8.9, -6.4) and -6.1 (-6.7, -5.5) ml min -1 m -2 , respectively and for serum potassium were +0.34 (0.29, 0.38) and +0.21 (0.18, 0.25) mmol l -1 , respectively.

These analyses provide individualized estimates of the expected treatment effect for any combination of medical therapies in HFrEF and HFmrEF/HFpEF on BP, kidney function and serum potassium.

03

The Bottom Line · Clinical Pearl

“These analyses provide individualized estimates of the expected treatment effect for any combination of medical therapies in HFrEF and HFmrEF/HFpEF on BP, kidney function and serum potassium.”

Published in Nature Medicine · Current Stage: Randomized Clinical Trial

Practical Next Step

Questions for Your Next Doctor Visit

  1. 1Based on my health history, do these nephrology findings (patients with heart failure are concerns relating to hypotension) apply to my situation?
  2. 2How do the potential benefits of this approach compare with the standard care I'm currently using?
  3. 3Given the study's key limitation (controlled trial findings show causal benefit under protocol rules; real-world effectiveness can vary across patients.), what risks or follow-up steps should we watch for?
Nephrology · Randomized Clinical Trial
Study Type
Randomized controlled trial

Randomized controlled trial (38,753 participants)

Evidence Score
5/5 · Gold-Standard Human Evidence
Evidence Meter · 5/5

Gold-Standard Human Evidence

Backed by randomized controlled human trials or a formal meta-analysis pooling multiple clinical studies.

Backed by randomized controlled human trials or a formal meta-analysis pooling multiple clinical studies.

Who It Applies To
Patients with heart failure are concerns relating to hypotension
Intervention & Mechanism
Short-term effects of combinations of heart failure therapies on blood pressure

Receptor targeting

Key Limitation
Controlled trial findings show causal benefit under protocol rules; real-world effectiveness can vary across patients.

Translational Stage

LEVEL 1 · Randomized Clinical Trial

Classified as Randomized controlled trial along the clinical evidence continuum

  1. Lab & Discovery
  2. Early Trials
  3. 3Randomized Clinical TrialActive
  4. 4Meta & Practice

Indexed Clinical Entities

Original Publication & AMA Citation

Short-term effects of combinations of heart failure therapies on blood pressure, kidney function and serum potassium. Nature Medicine. Published 2026;Oct 31. Accessed November 15, 2026. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/42675244/

Nature Medicine

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/42675244/

Read Original Paper

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