The aim of this study is to evaluate, in adults with HFrEF in Sri Lanka, the effects of an HFrEF polypill implementation strategy on the composite rate of cardiovascular disease mortality and recurrent heart failure hospitalizations, compared with usual care over a minimum of 12-months of follow-up.
Primary outcome of the study:
1\) Composite rate of cardiovascular disease mortality and recurrent heart failure hospitalizations over study duration
Secondary outcomes of the study:
1. Rate of cardiovascular disease mortality over study duration
2. Rate of recurrent heart failure hospitalizations over the study duration
3. Rate of all-cause mortality over the study duration
4. Change in left ventricular ejection fraction at 12-months and end of study assessed by transthoracic echocardiogram
5. Change in BNP levels at 12 months and end of study
6. Change in overall and domain specific health-related quality of life at 12-months and end of study assessed by a translated validated version of the Kansas City Cardiomyopathy Questionnaire (KCCQ-23)
7. Change in physician-reported New York Heart Association class at 12-months and end of study
8. Adherence to guideline-directed medical therapy assessed by pill count and MARS-5 questionnaire at baseline, 1-, 6-, 12-months, and end of study. Persistence assessed as continuation of assigned therapy at each follow-up visit. Dose optimization assessed as proportion achieving target doses (Strength 3 of the polypill, or comparable individual GDMT doses in the comparator arm) at 6-, 12-months, and end of study.
Safety outcomes:
1. Proportion of participants with serious adverse events according to Good Clinical Practice guidelines over study duration
2. Proportion of participants with adverse events of special interest over study duration
3. Proportion of participants with adverse events leading to HF drug discontinuation over study duration
4. Mean change from baseline to 12-months and end of study in serum potassium (mEq/L)
5. Mean change from baseline to 12-months and end of study in serum creatinine (mg/dL)
Participants will be randomly assigned 1:1 stratified by sex and site to one of two groups, intervention (experimental arm) or usual care (control arm). The intervention group will be given four guideline-recommended medications for heart failure with reduced ejection fraction, combined in one over-encapsulated pill, with three dose strength options. Both groups will be observed over a minimum of 12-months of follow-up to assess key outcomes.