Abstract
IMPORTANCE: The efficacy and safety of guideline-recommended treatments for heart failure (HF) are uncertain in patients with Chagas disease. OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the efficacy and safety of the angiotensin receptor-neprilysin inhibitor sacubitril/valsartan in patients with HF with reduced ejection fraction due to Chagas disease. DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS: From December 10, 2019, through September 13, 2023, patients with HF, confirmed diagnosis of Chagas disease, left ventricular ejection fraction of 40% or less, and N-terminal pro-B-type natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP) of 600 pg/mL or greater (or B-type natriuretic peptide [BNP] ≥150 pg/mL) or 400 pg/mL or greater (or BNP ≥100 pg/mL) if hospitalized for HF within the previous 12 months were screened at 83 sites in Argentina, Brazil, Colombia, and Mexico. Statistical analysis was conducted between May and July 2025. INTERVENTIONS: Patients were randomized to receive sacubitril/valsartan (target dose, 200 mg twice daily) or enalapril (target dose, 10 mg twice daily), in addition to standard therapy. MAIN OUTCOMES AND MEASURES: The primary end point was a hierarchical composite outcome tested, in order, of death from cardiovascular causes, hospitalization for HF, or relative change in NT-proBNP from baseline to 12 weeks. The primary analysis was done using a win ratio approach. RESULTS: Overall, 462 participants were randomized to receive sacubitril/valsartan and 460 to receive enalapril (mean [SD] age, 64.2 [10.8] years; 387 [42.0%] were female). Over a median (IQR) follow-up of 25.2 (18.4-33.2) months, cardiovascular death occurred in 110 patients (23.8% [18.3% wins in the hierarchical comparison]) in the sacubitril/valsartan group and 117 patients (25.4% [17.5% wins]) in the enalapril group. A total of 102 patients (22.1% [7.7% wins]) in the sacubitril/valsartan group and 111 (24.1% [6.9% wins]) in the enalapril group experienced a first hospitalization for HF. Patients in the sacubitril/valsartan group had a median (IQR) decrease in NT-proBNP of 30.6% (-54.3% to -0.9%) at 12 weeks, leading to 22.5% wins, while those in the enalapril group had a 5.5% (-31.9% to 37.5%) decrease (7.2% wins). The resulting stratified win ratio was 1.52 (95% CI, 1.28-1.82; P < .001) for sacubitril/valsartan compared with enalapril. CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE: In patients with HF with reduced ejection fraction due to Chagas disease, there was no significant difference in clinical outcomes between sacubitril/valsartan and enalapril, but there was a greater reduction in NT-proBNP at 12 weeks in patients in the sacubitril/valsartan group. TRIAL REGISTRATION: ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT04023227.