Impact of epoetin alfa on left ventricular structure, function, and pressure volume relations as assessed by cardiac magnetic resonance: the heart failure preserved ejection fraction (HFPEF) anemia trial.

Anemia, a common comorbidity in older adults with heart failure and a preserved ejection fraction (HFPEF), is associated with worse outcomes. The authors quantified the effect of anemia treatment on left ventricular (LV) structure and function as measured by cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR) imaging. A prospective, randomized single-blind clinical trial (NCT NCT00286182) comparing the safety and efficacy of epoetin alfa vs placebo for 24 weeks in which a subgroup (n=22) had cardiac magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) at baseline and after 3 and 6 months to evaluate changes in cardiac structure and function. Pressure volume (PV) indices were derived from MRI measures of ventricular volume coupled with sphygmomanometer-measured pressure and Doppler estimates of filling pressure. The end-systolic and end-diastolic PV relations and the area between them as a function of end-diastolic pressure, the isovolumic PV area (PVAiso), were calculated. Patients (75±10 years, 64% women) with HFPEF (EF=63%±15%) with an average hemoglobin of 10.3±1.1 gm/dL were treated with epoetin alfa using a dose-adjusted algorithm that increased hemoglobin compared with placebo (P<.0001). As compared with baseline, there were no significant changes in end-diastolic (-7±8 mL vs -3±8 mL, P=.81) or end-systolic (-0.4±2 mL vs -0.7±5 mL, P=.96) volumes at 6-month follow-up between epoetin alfa compared with placebo. LV function as measured based on EF (-1.5%±1.6% vs -2.6%±3.3%, P=.91) and pressure volume indices (PVAiso-EDP at 30 mm Hg, -5071±4308 vs -1662±4140, P=.58) did not differ between epoetin alfa and placebo. Administration of epoetin alfa to older adult patients with HFPEF resulted in a significant increase in hemoglobin, without evident change in LV structure, function, or pressure volume relationships as measured quantitatively using CMR imaging.