Subject terms
HFpEF, ventricular and vascular stiffness, hypertensive, heart failure, hypertension
HEART FAILURE, HYPERTENSION
Characterized by ventricular and vascular stiffness, heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF) has led to high morbidity and mortality. As azilsartan is an angiotensin receptor blocker with the highest myocardial and vascular affinities, azilsartan may improve the left ventricular (LV) diastolic function in patients with hypertension and either HFpEF or HF with mildly reduced ejection fraction (HFmrEF) more than candesartan. In this randomized, open-label trial, we randomly assigned 193 hypertensive patients with HF and LV ejection fraction ≥ 45% to 20 mg of azilsartan (n = 95) or 8 mg of candesartan (n = 98), once daily for 48 weeks. After the initiation of treatment, changes in the doses of the study drugs were permitted based on the patient’s conditions, including blood pressure (median dose at 48 weeks: azilsartan 20.0 mg/day, candesartan 8.0 mg/day). The primary endpoint was the baseline-adjusted change in the ratio of peak early diastolic transmitral flow velocity (E) to early diastolic mitral annular velocity (e′) (E/e′). Adjusted least-squares mean (LSM) change in E/e′ was − 0.8 (95% confidence interval [CI] − 1.49 to − 0.04) in the azilsartan group and 0.2 (95% CI − 0.49 to 0.94) in the candesartan group, providing the LSM differences of − 1.0 (95% CI − 2.01 to 0.03, P = 0.057). The median change in left atrial volume index was – 2.7 mL/m