Journal of the American College of Cardiology

2012 by the American College of Cardiology Foundation

Published by Elsevier Inc.

Vol. 59, No. 18, 2012

ISSN 0735-1097/$36.00
doi:10.1016/j.jacc.2011.11.063

Heart Failure

Eplerenone and Atrial Fibrillation

in Mild Systolic Heart Failure
Results From the EMPHASIS-HF (Eplerenone in Mild
Patients Hospitalization And SurvIval Study in Heart Failure) Study
Karl Swedberg, MD, PHD,* Faiez Zannad, MD, PHD, John J. V. McMurray, MD,
Henry Krum, MB, PHD, Dirk J. van Veldhuisen, MD, PHD, Harry Shi, MS,
John Vincent, MB, PHD, Bertram Pitt, MD,# for the EMPHASIS-HF Study Investigators
Goteborg, Sweden; Nancy, France; Glasgow, United Kingdom; Melbourne, Australia;
Groningen, the Netherlands; New York, New York; and Ann Arbor, Michigan
Objectives

The purpose of this study was to analyze the incidence of new atrial fibrillation or flutter (AFF) in the
EMPHASIS-HF (Eplerenone in Mild Patients Hospitalization And SurvIval Study in Heart Failure) database.

Background

Aldosterone antagonism in heart failure might influence atrial fibrosis and remodeling and, therefore, risk of developing AFF. The development of new AFF was a pre-specified secondary endpoint in the EMPHASIS-HF study.

Methods

Patients in New York Heart Association functional class II and with ejection fraction 35% were eligible for
EMPHASIS-HF. History of AFF at baseline was reported by investigators using the study case report form.
New onset AFF (in those with no history of AFF at baseline) was reported using a specific endpoint form; in
a sensitivity analysis we also examined the effect of eplerenone on AFF reported as an adverse event.

Results

New onset AFF was significantly reduced by eplerenone: 25 of 911 (2.7%) versus 40 of 883 (4.5%) in the placebo group (hazard ratio [HR]: 0.58, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.35 to 0.96; p 0.034). The reduction in the
primary endpoint with eplerenone was similar among patients with and without AFF at baseline (HR: 0.60, 95%
CI: 0.46 to 0.79 vs. HR: 0.70, 95% CI: 0.57 to 0.85, respectively; p for interaction 0.41). The risk of cardiovascular (CV) death or hospital admission for worsening heart failure, the primary endpoint, was not significantly
different in subjects with and without AFF at baseline (both study groups combined: HR: 1.23, 95% CI: 0.81 to
1.86; p 0.33).

Conclusions

In patients with systolic heart failure and mild symptoms, eplerenone reduced the incidence of new onset AFF. The
effects of eplerenone on the reduction of major CV events were similar in patients with and without AFF at
baseline. (J Am Coll Cardiol 2012;59:1598603) 2012 by the American College of Cardiology Foundation

Atrial fibrillation is common in patients with chronic heart

failure (HF), and its prevalence increases with the severity of
the disease (1,2). The development of atrial fibrillation with
an ensuing decline in cardiac function may also cause

hemodynamic and symptomatic deterioration leading to a

reduction in exercise capacity, as well as deterioration of
functional class (3,4). This, in turn, may lead to hospital
admission, other morbidity (e.g., stroke), and, possibly, to

From the *Department of Emergency and Cardiovascular Medicine, Sahlgrenska

Academy, University of Gothenburg, Gteborg, Sweden; Inserm, Centre
dInvestigation Clinique CIC 9501 and U961, CHU and Department of Cardiology,
University of Nancy, Nancy, France; The British Heart Foundation Cardiovascular
Research Centre, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, United Kingdom; Department of
Epidemiology and Preventive Medicine, Centre of Cardiovascular Research and
Education in Therapeutics, Monash University, Melbourne, Australia; Department
of Cardiology, Thorax Centre, University Medical Centre, Groningen, the Netherlands; Pfizer Inc., New York, New York; and the #University of Michigan School of
Medicine, Ann Arbor, Michigan. Dr. Swedberg has received research support from
Pfizer, Amgen, Novartis, and Servier. Drs. Zannad, McMurray, Krum, van Veldhuisen,
Swedberg, and Pitt are members of the EMPHASIS-HF Writing Committee and
report receiving support from the study sponsor, Pfizer Inc., for participation in and

traveling to meetings of the committee. Mr. Shi and Dr. Vincent are currently
employed by Pfizer and own stock in Pfizer Inc., the makers of eplerenone. Dr.
McMurray is supported by the Eugene Braunwald Endowment for the Advancement
of Cardiovascular Discovery and Care. Dr. van Veldhuisen has board membership fees
with Amgen, Alere, Vifor, and Pfizer. The sponsor was responsible for data
management and final data analyses. The Writing Committee had full access to all
data, and was responsible for the interpretation of the results, the development and
writing of the manuscript, and the decision to submit for publication. Members of the
medical and scientific departments of the sponsor, Pfizer, supported the work of the
Writing Committee, but did not make any scientific or research decisions independent of this committee.
Manuscript received September 14, 2011; revised manuscript received November
22, 2011, accepted November 29, 2011.

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increased mortality. Development of atrial fibrillation is

clearly undesirable in HF, and treatments that may prevent
it are therefore conceptually attractive in HF.
The extent of activation of the renin-angiotensinaldosterone system also increases with the severity of HF (5)
and both angiotensin II and aldosterone may lead to atrial
fibrosis and contribute to the development of atrial fibrillation or flutter (AFF) (6,7).
Angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors and
angiotensin receptor blockers (ARBs) have been shown to
reduce the incidence of atrial fibrillation in patients with HF
(as well as other types of cardiovascular disease) in metaanalyses including both primary and secondary prevention
(8,9), although not all studies have confirmed this finding in
primary prevention (10,11).
Activation of mineralocorticoid receptors by aldosterone
and cortisol has deleterious effects in patients with cardiovascular disease (12). Treatment with mineralocorticoid
receptor antagonists (MRA) has been demonstrated to
reduce outcomes in patients with mild to severe systolic HF
(13,14) as well as after myocardial infarction (15). Aldosterone has a more pro-fibrotic action than angiotensin II (12),
but whether antagonists, which block activation of the
mineralocorticoid receptor by aldosterone and other corticosteroids, reduce the incidence of AFF is unclear, especially in patients with systolic HF already treated with an
ACE inhibitor or ARB. A small study has suggested that
spironolactone may prevent the re-occurrence of AF in
patients with normal left ventricular systolic function (16).
We therefore prospectively examined this question in the
EMPHASIS-HF (Eplerenone in Mild Patients Hospitalization And SurvIval Study in Heart Failure) study. In
EMPHASIS-HF, the MRA eplerenone, or placebo, was
added to an ACE inhibitor or ARB, and a beta-blocker, in
patients with systolic HF and mild symptoms (13). We also
report the effect of eplerenone in patients with and without
AFF at baseline and the relationship between baseline AFF
and subsequent events.
Methods
The design of the trial has been published in detail (13,17).
In brief, patients were eligible if they were at least 55 years
of age, in New York Heart Association functional class II,
had an ejection fraction of no more than 30% (or, if between
30% and 35%, QRS duration had to be 130 ms), and they
were treated with the recommended or maximally tolerated
dose of ACE inhibitor (or an ARB or both) and a
beta-blocker (unless contraindicated). Randomization was
to occur within 6 months of hospitalization for a cardiovascular reason or, if no such hospitalization, if plasma B-type
natriuretic peptide was at least 250 pg/ml or N-terminal
proB-type natriuretic peptide was at least 500 pg/ml in
men (750 pg/ml in women). Key exclusion criteria were
serum potassium 5.0 mmol/l, estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) 30 ml/min/1.73 m2, need for a
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Swedberg et al.
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1599

potassium-sparing diuretic, and

Abbreviations
and Acronyms
any other significant comorbid
condition.
ACE angiotensinThe trial was approved by each
converting enzyme
centers ethics committee. All paAFF atrial fibrillation or
tients provided written informed
flutter
consent.
ARB angiotensin
Study procedures. We used a
receptor blocker
computerized randomization sysCI confidence interval
tem involving concealed studyCRF case report form
group assignments to randomly
eGFR estimated
assign patients to eplerenone or
glomerular filtration rate
matching placebo with no stratifiHF heart failure
cation for subgroups. Eplerenone
HR hazard ratio
or matching placebo was started
MRA mineralocorticoid
at a dose of 25 mg once daily (or
receptor antagonist(s)
25 mg alternate days if eGFR
was 30 to 49 ml/min/1.73 m2)
and increased after 4 weeks to 50 mg once daily (25 mg daily
if eGFR was 30 to 49 ml/min/1.73 m2), provided the serum
potassium was no more than 5.0 mmol/l. Thereafter,
investigators reviewed patients every 4 months and were
instructed to decrease the dose of study drug if potassium
was 5.5 mmol/l or more and to withhold it if potassium was
6.0 mmol/l or more. Potassium was to be rechecked within
72 h and study drug restarted only if potassium was 5.0
mmol/l. An electrocardiogram was recorded at baseline and
at study closure.
Atrial fibrillation/flutter. BASELINE AFF. AFF status was
determined from 3 separate parts of the study case report
form (CRF): 1) the baseline electrocardiogram report; 2) the
etiology of HF report and prior index hospitalization; and
3) the medical history page. Patients without AFF at
baseline had no report of AFF in any of these 3 CRF
sections. Patients with AFF at baseline had a report of AFF
in any 1 of these sections.
NEW ONSET AFF. Because new onset AFF was a prespecified endpoint, a specially designed CRF focused on the
occurrence of AFF during follow-up was collected during
the study for all patients. We also performed a sensitivity
analysis by examining adverse events reports of AFF.
Patients with new onset AFF were defined as those without
AFF at baseline who had an endpoint CRF report of AFF
during follow-up (or, in the sensitivity analysis, an adverse
event report of AFF).
We also examined the impact of baseline AFF on
primary and secondary outcomes and the effect of eplerenone by baseline AFF. The primary endpoint was the
first occurrence of either death from cardiovascular causes
or hospitalization for HF. The other key secondary
endpoints were hospitalization for HF or death from any
cause, death from any cause, death from cardiovascular
causes, hospitalization for any cause, and hospitalization
for HF.

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Eplerenone and AF in Mild Systolic Heart Failure

JACC Vol. 59, No. 18, 2012

May 1, 2012:1598603

Baseline
in Patients With
and Without
AFFWithout AFF
Table 1 Characteristics
Baseline Characteristics
in Patients
With and
No AFF (n 1,794)

AFF (n 943)

Eplerenone
(n 911)

Placebo
(n 883)

Total
(n 1,794)

Eplerenone
(n 453)

Placebo
(n 490)

Total
(n 943)

p Value
(No AFF vs. AFF)

Age, yrs

68 7.6

67.9 7.5

Men, %

675 (74)

665 (75)

1,340 (75)

67.9 7.5

70.1 7.7

69.9 7.7

70.0 7.7

0.0001*

380 (84)

407 (83)

787 (83)

Ischemic heart failure, %

659 (72.3)

619 (70.1)

0.0001*

1,278 (71.2)

292 (64.5)

316 (64.5)

608 (64.5)

Previous hospitalization for CHF, %

451 (49.5)

433 (49.0)

884 (49.3)

263 (58.1)

293 (59.8)

556 (59)

0.0003*
0.0001*

Hypertension, %

588 (64.5)

569 (64.4)

1,157 (64.5)

322 (71.1)

340 (69.4)

662 (70.2)

0.0029*

Diabetes mellitus, %

330 (36.2)

275 (31.1)

605 (33.7)

129 (28.5)

125 (25.5)

254 (26.9)

0.0003*

Coronary artery bypass grafting, %

173 (19.0)

158 (17.9)

331 (18.5)

102 (20.8)

185 (19.6)

0.4717

26 (4.6)

26 (4.7)

26 (4.7)

26.3 (4.7)

26.2 (4.7)

26.3 (4.7)

0.2034

72.1 (14.4)

71.6 (14.6)

71.9 (14.5)

76.7 (17.3)

76.4 (16.9)

0.0001*

1.1 (0.3)

1.1 (0.3)

1.1 (0.3)

1.2 (0.3)

1.2 (0.3)

0.0001*
0.0001*

EF, %
Heart rate, beats/min
Serum creatinine, mg/dl

83 (18.3)

76 (16.6)
1.2 (0.3)

Medications, %
Diuretics

788 (86.5)

777 (88)

1,565 (87.2)

415 (91.6)

454 (92.7)

869 (92.2)

ACE inhibitor/ARB

876 (96.2)

840 (95.1)

1,716 (95.7)

434 (95.8)

465 (94.9)

899 (95.3)

0.6976

Beta-blocker

820 (90.0)

801 (90.7)

1,621 (90.4)

413 (91.2)

447 (91.2)

860 (91.2)

0.4905

Digitalis glucosides

213 (23.4)

204 (23.1)

417 (23.2)

214 (47.2)

254 (51.8)

468 (49.6)

0.0001*

Amiodarone

116 (12.7)

136 (15.4)

252 (14.0)

132 (29.1)

150 (30.6)

282 (29.9)

0.0001*

Lipid-lowering agents

654 (71.8)

630 (71.4)

1,284 (71.6)

266 (58.7)

295 (60.2)

561 (59.5)

0.0001*

Values are mean SD or n (%). *p Values were based on 2-sample t test for continuous variables and Fishers exact test for categorical variables.
ACE angiotensin-converting enzyme; AFF atrial fibrillation or flutter; ARB angiotensin receptor blocker; bpm beats per minute; EF ejection fraction; CHF chronic heart failure.

Statistical analysis. The comparability of baseline characteristics between subjects without or with baseline AFF was
assessed by 2-sample t test for continuous variables and
Fishers exact test for categorical variables.
The unadjusted and adjusted treatment effect on the risk
of new onset AFF was assessed by Cox proportional hazards
models without or with adjusting for the following prespecified baseline prognostic factors in the model: age,
eGFR or serum creatinine, ejection fraction, body mass
index, hemoglobin, heart rate, systolic blood pressure, diabetes mellitus, history of hypertension, prior myocardial
infarction, and left bundle branch block or QRS duration
130 ms.
Additionally, the subgroup analyses of the unadjusted treatment effect on the risk of primary and secondary outcomes
were conducted on all randomized patients and according to
the intention-to-treat principle stratified by subjects with or
without baseline AFF using Kaplan-Meier estimates and Cox
proportional hazards models including treatment as the only
factor. The treatment-by-baseline AFF subgroup interaction
was evaluated using a Cox proportional hazards model with
terms for treatment, baseline AFF, and interactions between
treatment and baseline AFF subgroup.
The association between baseline AFF and the risk of
primary and secondary endpoints was assessed using Cox
proportional hazards analyses including baseline AFF as the
major factor in the model. Additionally, a multivariate Cox
proportional hazards model was performed adjusting for the
list of baseline characteristics that were found to be significantly imbalanced between patients without or with baseline AFF from Table 1.

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Results
The study profile is presented in Figure 1 and the demographic characteristics of patients with and without AFF at
baseline are presented in Table 1. Nine hundred and
forty-three patients (34%) had AFF. Patients with AFF
differed from non-AFF patients in almost all variables.
Patients with AFF were significantly older and larger, had
more prior hospitalizations, and had more hypertension but
less diabetes. While ejection fraction was similar between
those with and without AFF, patients with AFF had a
higher heart rate and slightly higher serum creatinine. The
balanced randomization between allocation groups was
maintained despite absence of stratification for baseline AF.
New onset atrial fibrillation is presented in Figure 2,
according to treatment group. Onset of new atrial fibrilla-

Figure 1

Study Profile

AFF atrial fibrillation or flutter.

Swedberg et al.
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JACC Vol. 59, No. 18, 2012

May 1, 2012:1598603

Figure 2

0.034). An adjusted analysis with covariables reduced the

magnitude of the effect slightly (HR: 0.713, 95% CI: 0.485
to 1.050; p 0.087).
Analysis of adverse event reports gave a similar finding
with 55 and 76 cases reported for the eplerenone and
placebo groups, respectively. Background use of ACE inhibitor or ARB did not influence the results (data not
shown).
The effect of eplerenone on the primary endpoint (cardiovascular mortality or hospitalization for HF) was similar
among patients with and without AFF at baseline (HR:
0.60, 95% CI: 0.46 to 0.79 vs. HR: 0.70, 95% CI: 0.57 to
0.85, respectively; p for interaction 0.411) (Fig. 3). There
were also similar effects of eplerenone on other major
endpoints with no interaction according to the presence or
absence of AFF at baseline. When adjusting for background
use of an ACE inhibitor or an ARB at baseline, there was
no significant interaction with the findings and treatment
effect was maintained (data not shown).
The risk of the primary and secondary mortality and
morbidity endpoints according to baseline AFF status (for
both treatment groups combined) was not significantly
higher in subjects with and without baseline AFF (HR:
1.13, 95% CI: 0.96 to 1.33; p 0.152). For other major
adjudicated cardiovascular endpoints, the findings were

Incidence of Atrial Fibrillation or Flutter

New onset of atrial fibrillation or flutter in patients without atrial

fibrillation or flutter at baseline. CI confidence interval; HR hazard ratio.

tion was significantly reduced by eplerenone and occurred in

25 of 911 eplerenone-treated patients (2.7%) versus 40 of
883 patients (4.5%) in the placebo group (hazard ratio
[HR]: 0.58, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.35 to 0.96; p
End Point

With Baseline
AF/F

No. of

Hazard Ratio (95% CI)

Interaction

No

1794

0.411

Yes

943

All-Cause Mortality

No

1794

0.453

CV Mortality

No

1794

0.699

All-Cause Hospitalization

No

1794

0.223

HF Hospitalization

No

1794

0.485

All-Cause Death or All-Cause Hospitalization

No

1794

0.260

HF Death or HF Hospitalization

No

1794

0.491

CV Hospitalization

No

1794

0.204

Fatal / Non-Fatal MI

No

1794

0.758

Hospitalization for Worsening Renal Function

No

1794

0.927

Hospitalization for Hyperkalemia

No

1794

N/A

0.1 0.2

Figure 3

P-value for

Patients

HF Hospitalization / CV Death

0.5

Eplerenone

Placebo

Better

Better

10

Effects of Eplerenone by Baseline Atrial Fibrillation or Flutter

Effects of eplerenone on major endpoints with interaction according to the presence or absence of atrial fibrillation or flutter at baseline.
AF/F atrial fibrillation/flutter; CI confidence interval; CV cardiovascular; HF heart failure; MI myocardial infarction.

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Swedberg et al.
Eplerenone and AF in Mild Systolic Heart Failure

similar between these groups except for all-cause hospitalization, which was associated with increased risk by AFF
(HR: 1.17, 95% CI: 1.03 to 1.34) as well as all-cause death
or all-cause hospitalization (HR: 1.18, 95% CI: 1.05 to
1.34). Adjusted analyses with covariables as in Table 2
showed similar results.
Discussion
In patients with systolic HF and mild symptoms, addition
of eplerenone to recommended therapy reduced the incidence of new atrial fibrillation by 42%. Furthermore, the
benefits of eplerenone in patients with a history of atrial
fibrillation, or current atrial fibrillation, at baseline were
similar to those in patients without atrial fibrillation. These
benefits were obtained even though nearly all patients were
also treated with other effective and recommended pharmacological agents (i.e., ACE inhibitors/ARBs and betablockers). Atrial fibrillation is a common arrhythmia in
patients with HF and is related to the severity of HF. The
annual incidence of atrial fibrillation in this trial was around
3%, which corresponds to an annual incidence of 4% to 5%
in the COMET (Carvedilol Or Metoprolol European Trial)
study (18) and the SHIFT (Systolic Heart failure treatment
with the If inhibitor ivabradine Trial) study (19) as more
symptomatic patients in New York Heart Association
functional class III were included in the latter 2 trials. The
prognostic importance of atrial fibrillation per se is unclear,
and in the present analysis we could not find an independent
prognostic risk for cardiovascular events or death by AFF
over and above other risk factors in HF. This observation is
in agreement with the recent meta-analysis by Wasywich et
al. (20).
Whether or not atrial fibrillation is an independent
predictor of outcome in HF, its occurrence is commonly
associated with symptom deterioration, and in addition
atrial fibrillation increases the risk of stroke (21), necessitating treatment with anticoagulation with its associated
inconvenience, cost, and bleeding hazard. Consequently,
atrial fibrillation is best avoided, if possible. Unfortunately,
there are few treatment options for preventing atrial fibrillation in HF. Although retrospective analyses and small
prospective studies have suggested that ARBs (and ACE
inhibitors) might prevent atrial fibrillation (8), this finding
has not been confirmed in large prospective trials (10,11)
and, in any case, atrial fibrillation still occurs frequently in
patients taking these drugs, as shown in the present study.
Beta-blockers may also reduce the incidence of AFF but
should, in any case, be used routinely in systolic HF. (22).
Beta-blockers were used extensively in EMPHASIS-HF
and despite this (and the use of ACE inhibitors and ARBs),
eplerenone still reduced the incidence of AFF. Additional
prevention can be achieved by class III antiarrhythmic
drugs, which have been shown to reduce the incidence of
atrial fibrillation in HF (23), but these agents have unacceptable toxicity and uncertain safety in patients with acute
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May 1, 2012:1598603

and severe HF (23,24). By comparison, eplerenone is a

well-tolerated and safe alternative that has substantial additional clinical benefits, provided it is initiated under
monitoring of serum potassium and creatinine as in our
study.
The mechanism, or mechanisms, through which eplerenone reduced the incidence of atrial fibrillation is uncertain. Renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system activation may
contribute to atrial remodeling and fibrosis in HF, which are
thought to be key triggers of atrial fibrillation. MRAs
attenuate structural remodeling of the atria in animal
models and improve electrical remodeling, at least in part by
reducing fibrosis in animal models (7,25,26). MRAs may
also reduce cardiac electrical instability by reducing the risk
of hypokalemia.
Study limitations. Our results may not be applicable to all
patients with mild symptoms, because in this study patients
were required to have additional factors known to increase
cardiovascular risk, including age 55 years, in most cases
an ejection fraction 30%, and a recent cardiovascular
hospitalization. Although the incidence of new atrial fibrillation was collected prospectively using a specific investigatorcompleted CRF, we did not carry out ambulatory monitoring. Consequently, we are likely to have underestimated the
incidence of atrial fibrillation, particularly paroxysmal atrial
fibrillation, unless such episodes resulted in deterioration in
symptoms necessitating physician contact or admission to
hospital. Our sensitivity analysis based on adverse event
reporting suggests that our findings are robust, but the
magnitude of underreporting remains uncertain.
Conclusions
In patients with systolic HF and mild symptoms, addition
of eplerenone to recommended therapy reduced the incidence of new onset AFF. The effects of eplerenone on the
risk of major cardiovascular events were similar in patients
with and without AFF at baseline.
Reprint requests and correspondence: Dr. Karl Swedberg, Department of Medicine, Sahlgrenska University Hospital/stra,
41685 Gteborg, Sweden. E-mail: [email protected].
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Key Words: aldosterone antagonism y atrial fibrillation y heart failure.