Medications recommended for chronic heart failure with reduced ejection fraction (HFrEF) continue to be underused, according to findings from a Dutch registry study.

Adherence to the European Society of Cardiology (ESC)’s drug-therapy guidelines was examined in more than 10,900 patients enrolled in the CHECK-HF registry in the study, led by Dr Hans-Peter Brunner-La Rocca from Maastricht University Medical Centre.

The Australian heart failure guidelines, like the ESC ones, recommend an angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitor (or if contraindicated an angiotensin-receptor blocker (ARB)), beta-blocker and mineralocorticoid-receptor antagonist in all patients with HFrEF and a left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) <40%.

Two thirds of the Dutch participants had a left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) <40%, while 19% had LVEF between 40%-49%.