Heart failure (HF) remains a leading cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide, despite advancements in guideline-directed medical therapies (GDMTs). A major obstacle to optimal HF management is clinical inertia, defined as the failure of health care providers to initiate or intensify therapy when indicated. This review examined the current state, contributing factors, and strategies for overcoming clinical inertia in HF. Studies have revealed substantial treatment gaps, with sub-optimal prescription rates and dosing of GDMT classes, including angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors, angiotensin receptor blockers, angiotensin receptor-neprilysin inhibitors, β-blockers, mineralocorticoid receptor antagonists, and sodium-glucose cotransporter-2 inhibitors. These treatment gaps persist over time and are associated with increased patient mortality and hospitalizations as well as reduced quality of life. Multiple factors contribute to clinical inertia, including patient-related factors (medication adherence and treatment understanding), provider-related factors (guideline familiarity, concerns regarding side effects, complex treatment decision-making), and health care system-related factors (fragmented care models and quality assessment frameworks). Strategies for overcoming clinical inertia involve patient empowerment through education and shared decision-making, provider education and clinical decision support tools, and redesigning HF care delivery. Specialized HF management systems, multidisciplinary collaboration, remote monitoring, and digital tools can promote guideline adherence. Continuous quality improvement by integrating research and practice is also essential. Addressing clinical inertia requires a multifaceted approach targeting patients, providers, and health care systems. By implementing targeted strategies, health care systems can bridge the evidence-practice gap, optimize GDMT utilization, and ultimately improve outcomes for this vulnerable patient population.

Heart failure (HF) remains a leading cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide, despite advancements in guideline-directed medical therapies (GDMTs). A major obstacle to optimal HF management is clinical inertia, defined as the failure of health care providers to initiate or intensify therapy when indicated. This review examined the current state, contributing factors, and strategies for overcoming clinical inertia in HF. Studies have revealed substantial treatment gaps, with sub-optimal prescription rates and dosing of GDMT classes, including angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors, angiotensin receptor blockers, angiotensin receptor-neprilysin inhibitors, β-blockers, mineralocorticoid receptor antagonists, and sodium-glucose cotransporter-2 inhibitors. These treatment gaps persist over time and are associated with increased patient mortality and hospitalizations as well as reduced quality of life. Multiple factors contribute to clinical inertia, including patient-related factors (medication adherence and treatment understanding), provider-related factors (guideline familiarity, concerns regarding side effects, complex treatment decision-making), and health care system-related factors (fragmented care models and quality assessment frameworks). Strategies for overcoming clinical inertia involve patient empowerment through education and shared decision-making, provider education and clinical decision support tools, and redesigning HF care delivery. Specialized HF management systems, multidisciplinary collaboration, remote monitoring, and digital tools can promote guideline adherence. Continuous quality improvement by integrating research and practice is also essential. Addressing clinical inertia requires a multifaceted approach targeting patients, providers, and health care systems. By implementing targeted strategies, health care systems can bridge the evidence-practice gap, optimize GDMT utilization, and ultimately improve outcomes for this vulnerable patient population.

The authors have decided to remove one of the authors, Serpil C. Erzurum, MD, who was cited as the 5th author on the original manuscript.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Right ventricular longitudinal strain (RVLS) is a new parameter of RV function. We evaluated the relationship of RVLS by speckle-tracking echocardiography with functional and invasive parameters in pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) patients. SUBJECTS AND METHODS: Thirty four patients with World Health Organization group 1 PAH (29 females, mean age 45+/-13 years old). RVLS were analyzed with velocity vector imaging. RESULTS: Patients with advanced symptoms {New York Heart Association (NYHA) functional class III/IV} had impaired RVLS in global RV (RVLS(global), -17+/-5 vs. -12+/-3%, p<0.01) and RV free wall (RVLS(FW), -19+/-5 vs. -14+/-4%, p<0.01 to NYHA class I/II). Baseline RVLS(global) and RVLS(FW) showed significant correlation with 6-minute walking distance (r=-0.54 and r=-0.57, p<0.01 respectively) and logarithmic transformation of brain natriuretic peptide concentration (r=0.65 and r=0.65, p<0.01, respectively). These revealed significant correlations with cardiac index (r=-0.50 and r=-0.47, p<0.01, respectively) and pulmonary vascular resistance (PVR, r=0.45 and r=0.45, p=0.01, respectively). During a median follow-up of 33 months, 25 patients (74%) had follow-up examinations. Mean pulmonary arterial pressure (mPAP, 54+/-13 to 46+/-16 mmHg, p=0.03) and PVR (11+/-5 to 6+/-2 wood units, p<0.01) were significantly decreased with pulmonary vasodilator treatment. RVLS(global) (-12+/-5 to -16+/-5%, p<0.01) and RVLS(FW) (-14+/-5 to -18+/-5%, p<0.01) were significantly improved. The decrease of mPAP was significantly correlated with improvement of RVLS(global) (r=0.45, p<0.01) and RVLS(FW) (r=0.43, p<0.01). The PVR change demonstrated significant correlation with improvement of RVLS(global) (r=0.40, p<0.01). CONCLUSION: RVLS correlates with functional and invasive hemodynamic parameters in PAH patients. Decrease of mPAP and PVR as a result of treatment was associated with improvement of RVLS.
Arterial Pressure ; Echocardiography ; Female ; Follow-Up Studies ; Heart ; Heart Ventricles ; Hemodynamics* ; Humans ; Hypertension* ; Natriuretic Peptide, Brain ; Vascular Resistance ; Ventricular Function, Right ; Walking ; Wood ; World Health Organization