Effects of anti-inflammatory therapy in acute heart failure: a systematic review and meta-analysis

We examined current evidence regarding the effects of anti-inflammatory therapies in patients with acute heart failure (AHF) on the risk of cardiovascular outcomes, inflammatory markers, natriuretic peptides, and renal function. Despite growing evidence that inflammation plays a pivotal role in both the development and progression of heart failure, including AHF, only a few trials have been conducted to date in patients with AHF. A systematic literature search of PubMed, Medline, the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, and ClinicalTrials.gov was conducted in November 2024 to identify randomized controlled trials (RCTs) evaluating anti-inflammatory therapies in adult patients with AHF. Meta-analyses were conducted to estimate effects on clinical outcomes (death, HF readmission, or worsening HF) and inflammatory and other markers. Five RCTs were identified that enrolled a total of 289 patients to an anti-inflammatory intervention and 273 to a control. Prednisone was examined in two RCTs, anakinra in two, and colchicine in one. Three of the five trials required elevated C-reactive protein (CRP) level for entry. Anti-inflammatory therapy was associated with a reduced risk of the composite outcome (hazard ratio 0.55 [95% CI 0.35–0.86]) and an overall 54% greater reduction in CRP to end of therapy (ratio of geometric mean ratios 0.46 [95% CI 0.29–0.73]), which varied across studies. NT-proBNP and creatinine were not significantly affected. The analysis is limited by the small number of studies but suggests that anti-inflammatory therapy reduces inflammation and may reduce the risk of adverse clinical outcomes in patients with AHF.