Background

Interleukin-1 (IL-1) blockade seems to improve anaerobic exercise in patients with systolic heart failure through improved left ventricular (LV) systolic performance. However, it is unclear whether IL-1 blockade affects LV systolic performance.

Methods

We pooled data from 2 clinical trials of patients with systolic heart failure who were randomized to IL-1 blockade or placebo. We estimated changes in LV systolic performance (LV ejection fraction [LVEF] and end-systolic elastance [LVEes]) and pressure-volume area (PVA), a surrogate of oxygen consumption, after 14 days of treatment.

Results

LVEF increased from 30% (24%-38%) to 36% (29%-43%) between baseline and day 14 only in anakinra-treated patients (P = 0.03 for within-group change and P = 0.02 for between-group change compared with placebo). LVEes increased from 1.0 mm Hg/mL (0.7-1.5) to 1.3 mm Hg/mL (0.8-1.6) in anakinra-treated patients between baseline and day 14 but not in placebo-treated patients (P = 0.03 for within-group change and P = 0.08 for between-group change). A change in PVA between baseline and 14 days was not detected in either anakinra or placebo patients.

Conclusions

In this post hoc analysis, LVEes and LVEF increased significantly in patients treated with an IL-1 blocker but not in placebo-treated patients. An effect of IL-1 blockade on calculated PVA was not detected.