Role of Echocardiography in Evaluation of the Effects of Sacubitril–Valsartan on Vascular Stiffness in Patients with Heart Failure: Review Article

Background: Heart failure with reduced ejection fraction (HFrEF) people are exposed to increased risk of death that can be predicted by several factors, one of which is increased vascular stiffness. Sacubitril-valsartan has not been thoroughly investigated in this population to determine its effects on vascular function and structure. Based on the vasodilatory features of sacubitril–valsartan, we expected that fractional area change (AFAC) as well as aortic distensibility (AD), when measured through 2D transthoracic echocardiography (TTE), should enhance with treatment course in HFrEF patients.
Objective: This review article aimed to determine whether aortic stiffness can be measured by echocardiography in heart failure patients receiving sacubitril-valsartan medication or not.
Methods: Search terms for the study included echocardiography, HFrEF, sacubitril-valsartan, aorta, and entresto in PubMed and Google Scholar. After the writers carefully analysed references from the relevant literature, including all the acknowledged research and reviews, only the most recent or complete studies between February 1995 and July 2021 were included. Since no sources for interpretation could be found, non-English language documents have been ignored. Dissertations, discussions, abstract papers from conferences, and everything else that wasn't a fundamental scientific research had been excluded.
Conclusion: The positive benefits of sacubitril–valsartan on AD and AFAC as evaluated by TTE are increasing gradually from baseline to six months.