Association between the 2022 AHA/ACC/HFSA heart failure staging and cardiovascular and kidney outcomes in patients with diabetes and kidney disease: a post hoc analysis of the scored randomized controlled trial
Author(s)
Type
Journal Article
Abstract
BACKGROUND:
The 2022 American Heart Association/American College of Cardiology/Heart Failure Society of America heart failure (HF) classification incorporates cardiac biomarkers to identify early risk of HF. The HF stages may also guide the prognosis and management of cardiovascular and kidney-related events.
METHODS:
SCORED (Effect of Sotagliflozin on Cardiovascular and Renal Events in Patients With Type 2 Diabetes and Moderate Renal Impairment Who Are at Cardiovascular Risk) was a randomized trial in diabetes with kidney disease comparing sotagliflozin versus placebo on cardiovascular death, HF hospitalizations, and urgent HF visits. SCORED participants were grouped by HF stage post hoc. Stage A: no HF, normal biomarkers (NT-proBNP [N-terminal pro-B-type natriuretic peptide] <125 pg/mL; high sensitivity cardiac troponin T [hs-cTnT] <14 ng/L), and normal cardiac structure/function. Stage B (pre-HF): no HF but elevated NT-proBNP, hs-cTnT, or abnormal cardiac structure/function. Stage C/D: symptomatic HF. End points include the primary composite (cardiovascular death and HF-related events), major adverse cardiovascular events, and kidney-related composites (≥50% decline in estimated glomerular filtration rate, kidney failure, or kidney death). Using competing-risk proportional hazards models, we examined the association between HF stage and these end points, and the effect of sotagliflozin versus placebo by HF stage.
RESULTS:
There were 741 patients (7%) in stage A, 6560 (62%) in stage B (pre-HF), and 3283 (31%) in stage C/D (established HF). The median NT-proBNP and hs-cTnT increased with HF stage. Increasing HF stage was associated with a 2- to 4-fold increase in the primary outcome/major adverse cardiovascular events in the placebo group. The kidney-specific composite was 5-fold higher in stage B (pre-HF) versus stage A but similar in stages B and C/D. The effect of sotagliflozin versus placebo was similar, irrespective of HF stage (primary outcome: hazard ratio, 0.74 [95% CI, 0.63–0.88]; Pinteraction=1.00), with higher absolute benefit in each HF stage (P-trendIRR=0.002). The absolute benefit for the kidney-specific end point was comparable for stages B and C/D.
CONCLUSIONS:
Increasing HF stage is associated with a higher risk of HF, major adverse cardiovascular events, and kidney events. Asymptomatic stage B (pre-HF) increased cardiovascular and renal events by >2- and 5-fold, respectively. The benefits of sotagliflozin are consistent, irrespective of HF stage.
The 2022 American Heart Association/American College of Cardiology/Heart Failure Society of America heart failure (HF) classification incorporates cardiac biomarkers to identify early risk of HF. The HF stages may also guide the prognosis and management of cardiovascular and kidney-related events.
METHODS:
SCORED (Effect of Sotagliflozin on Cardiovascular and Renal Events in Patients With Type 2 Diabetes and Moderate Renal Impairment Who Are at Cardiovascular Risk) was a randomized trial in diabetes with kidney disease comparing sotagliflozin versus placebo on cardiovascular death, HF hospitalizations, and urgent HF visits. SCORED participants were grouped by HF stage post hoc. Stage A: no HF, normal biomarkers (NT-proBNP [N-terminal pro-B-type natriuretic peptide] <125 pg/mL; high sensitivity cardiac troponin T [hs-cTnT] <14 ng/L), and normal cardiac structure/function. Stage B (pre-HF): no HF but elevated NT-proBNP, hs-cTnT, or abnormal cardiac structure/function. Stage C/D: symptomatic HF. End points include the primary composite (cardiovascular death and HF-related events), major adverse cardiovascular events, and kidney-related composites (≥50% decline in estimated glomerular filtration rate, kidney failure, or kidney death). Using competing-risk proportional hazards models, we examined the association between HF stage and these end points, and the effect of sotagliflozin versus placebo by HF stage.
RESULTS:
There were 741 patients (7%) in stage A, 6560 (62%) in stage B (pre-HF), and 3283 (31%) in stage C/D (established HF). The median NT-proBNP and hs-cTnT increased with HF stage. Increasing HF stage was associated with a 2- to 4-fold increase in the primary outcome/major adverse cardiovascular events in the placebo group. The kidney-specific composite was 5-fold higher in stage B (pre-HF) versus stage A but similar in stages B and C/D. The effect of sotagliflozin versus placebo was similar, irrespective of HF stage (primary outcome: hazard ratio, 0.74 [95% CI, 0.63–0.88]; Pinteraction=1.00), with higher absolute benefit in each HF stage (P-trendIRR=0.002). The absolute benefit for the kidney-specific end point was comparable for stages B and C/D.
CONCLUSIONS:
Increasing HF stage is associated with a higher risk of HF, major adverse cardiovascular events, and kidney events. Asymptomatic stage B (pre-HF) increased cardiovascular and renal events by >2- and 5-fold, respectively. The benefits of sotagliflozin are consistent, irrespective of HF stage.
Date Issued
2026-03-01
Date Acceptance
2025-12-17
Citation
Circulation: Heart Failure, 2026, 19 (3)
ISSN
1941-3289
Publisher
Ovid Technologies (Wolters Kluwer Health)
Start Page
e013054
Journal / Book Title
Circulation: Heart Failure
Volume
19
Issue
3
Copyright Statement
© 2026 The Authors. Circulation: Heart Failure is published on behalf of the American Heart Association, Inc., by Wolters Kluwer Health, Inc. This is an open access article under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided that the original work is properly cited.
License URL
Identifier
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/41569429
Subjects
biomarkers
coronary artery disease
heart failure
hypertrophy
renal insufficiency
Humans
Heart Failure
Female
Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2
Male
Biomarkers
Aged
Middle Aged
Glycosides
Peptide Fragments
Natriuretic Peptide, Brain
Sodium-Glucose Transporter 2 Inhibitors
Risk Factors
Treatment Outcome
Severity of Illness Index
Pyrans
Publication Status
Published
Coverage Spatial
United States
Article Number
e013054
Date Publish Online
2026-01-22