The translational gap in quadruple heart failure therapy in East and Southeast Asia: Barriers and a proposed phenotype-adapted implementation model
Background: Quadruple guideline-directed medical therapy (GDMT) for heart failure with reduced ejection fraction (HFrEF)—composed of an angiotensin receptor-neprilysin inhibitor (ARNI) or angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitor/angiotensin receptor blocker (ACEi/ARB), an evidence-based beta-blocker, a mineralocorticoid receptor antagonist (MRA), and a sodium-glucose cotransporter 2 inhibitor (SGLT2i)—produces complementary reductions in cardiovascular mortality and rehospitalization. Yet implementation across Asian health systems remains highly inconsistent. Aim: To synthesize contemporary implementation data from East and Southeast Asia, identify phenotype-specific and health-system barriers, and propose a testable nurse- or pharmacist-led (NPL) implementation model adapted to HFrEF populations in this subregion. Methods: This article integrated published HFrEF registry, health-economic, and implementation-science literature primarily from Taiwan, Singapore, the Philippines, Vietnam, China, and Japan. The synthesis was narrative and hypothesis-generating; therefore, all projected trial tables are explicitly labeled as simulated planning projections for a proposed cluster-randomized trial. Results: HFrEF care in East and Southeast Asia is constrained by three interacting barriers: (i) out-of-pocket medication costs and reimbursement gaps; (ii) lower body size, lower baseline systolic blood pressure, frailty, and renal-electrolyte vulnerability; and (iii) overextended outpatient infrastructure. We proposed a 3-step predischarge-to-primary-care NPL co-management protocol that starts low-dose foundational therapy before discharge, provides algorithm-driven titration at weeks 2 and 4, and hands over stable patients to primary care by week 6. Conclusion: The HFrEF translational gap in East and Southeast Asia is fundamentally an implementation gap. A phenotype-adapted, protocolized NPL titration pathway deserves prospective testing as a scalable model for improving GDMT optimization across diverse health systems in the subregion. Relevance for patients: Safer and faster optimization of proven heart failure therapies may reduce avoidable rehospitalizations and premature mortality in vulnerable Asian HFrEF populations.

- Packer M, Anker SD, Butler J, et al. Cardiovascular and renal outcomes with empagliflozin in heart failure. N Engl J Med. 2020;383(15):1413-1424. doi: 10.1056/NEJMoa2022190
- Sze S, Thaitirarot C, Krishnan S, et al. Early and rapid initiation of quadruple therapy for heart failure with reduced ejection fraction: a real-world experience. Clin Med. 2025;25(2):100296. doi: 10.1016/j.clinme.2025.100296
- McMurray JJV, Packer M, Desai AS, et al. Angiotensin-neprilysin inhibition versus enalapril in heart failure. N Engl J Med. 2014;371(11):993-1004. doi: 10.1056/NEJMoa1409077
- McMurray JJV, Solomon SD, Inzucchi SE, et al. Dapagliflozin in patients with heart failure and reduced ejection fraction. N Engl J Med. 2019;381(21):1995-2008. doi: 10.1056/NEJMoa1911303
- Zannad F, McMurray JJV, Krum H, et al. Eplerenone in patients with systolic heart failure and mild symptoms. N Engl J Med. 2011;364(1):11-21. doi: 10.1056/NEJMoa1009492
- Vaduganathan M, Claggett BL, Jhund PS, et al. Estimating lifetime benefits of comprehensive disease-modifying pharmacological therapies in patients with heart failure with reduced ejection fraction: a comparative analysis of three randomised controlled trials. Lancet. 2020;396(10244):121-128. doi: 10.1016/S0140-6736(20)30748-0
- Chang HY, Liao CT, Heidenreich PA, et al. Implementation of the Get With The Guidelines-Heart Failure Adherence to Science, Implementation in Asia (GWTG-HF A.S.I.A.) Program in Taiwan. J Am Heart Assoc. 2026;15(1):e047097. doi: 10.1161/JAHA.125.047097
- Añonuevo J, Aquino CO, Cunanan E, et al. Cost-of-illness of heart failure with preserved and reduced ejection fraction in the Philippines. J Med Econ. 2025;28(1):814-822. doi: 10.1080/13696998.2025.2504269
- Zheng J, Mednick T, Heidenreich PA, Sandhu AT. Pharmacist- and nurse-led medical optimization in heart failure: a systematic review and meta-analysis. J Card Fail. 2023;29(7):1000-1013. doi: 10.1016/j.cardfail.2023.03.012
- Alhakem H, Murphy A, Fusco L, et al. Pharmacist-led rapid uptitration clinic in heart failure patients with reduced ejection fraction: our experience within a virtual ward. PLoS Digit Health. 2025;4(6):e0000868. doi: 10.1371/journal.pdig.0000868
- Enriquez KPDA, Mondido SMC, Sabando MJD, et al. Quality of care among post-discharge patients with heart failure with reduced ejection fraction (HFrEF) at the outpatient department (OPD) of a tertiary center. Acta Med Philipp. 2025;59(10):52-61. doi: 10.47895/amp.vi0.11251
- Senanayake S, Lee ASY, Graves N, et al. Treatment gaps in guideline-directed medical therapy for HFrEF in Singapore: findings from a multicentre retrospective cohort study. BMJ Open. 2026;16(3):e107127. doi: 10.1136/bmjopen-2025-107127
- Tromp J, Tay WT, Ouwerkerk W, et al. Multimorbidity in patients with heart failure from 11 Asian regions: a prospective cohort study using the ASIAN-HF registry. PLoS Med. 2018;15(3):e1002541. doi: 10.1371/journal.pmed.1002541
- Lawson CA, Tay WT, Bernhardt L, et al. Association between diabetes, chronic kidney disease, and outcomes in people with heart failure from Asia. JACC Asia. 2023;3(4):611-621. doi: 10.1016/j.jacasi.2023.03.005
- Aung T, Qin Y, Tay WT, et al. Prevalence and prognostic significance of frailty in Asian patients with heart failure: insights from ASIAN-HF. JACC Asia. 2021;1(3):303-313. doi: 10.1016/j.jacasi.2021.09.006
- D’Amario D, Rodolico D, Delvinioti A, et al. Eligibility for the 4 pharmacological pillars in heart failure with reduced ejection fraction at discharge. J Am Heart Assoc. 2023;12(13):e029071. doi: 10.1161/JAHA.122.029071
- Mebazaa A, Davison B, Chioncel O, et al. Safety, tolerability and efficacy of up-titration of guideline-directed medical therapies for acute heart failure (STRONG-HF): a multinational, open-label, randomised trial. Lancet. 2022;400(10367):1938-1952. doi: 10.1016/S0140-6736(22)02076-1
- World Health Organization. The selection and use of essential medicines, 2025: WHO Model List of Essential Medicines, 24th list. 2025. Accessed August 25, 2026. https://www.who.int/publications/i/item/B09474
- Fleiss JL, Levin B, Paik MC. Statistical methods for rates and proportions. 3rd ed. Hoboken (NJ): John Wiley & Sons; 2003. doi: 10.1002/0471445428
- Fay MP, Graubard BI. Small-sample adjustments for Wald-type tests using sandwich estimators. Biometrics. 2001;57(4):1198-1206. doi: 10.1111/j.0006-341X.2001.01198.x
- Damschroder LJ, Reardon CM, Widerquist MAO, Lowery J. The updated Consolidated Framework for Implementation Research based on user feedback. Implement Sci. 2022;17(1):75. doi: 10.1186/s13012-022-01245-0
- Heerspink HJL, Cherney DZI. Clinical implications of an acute dip in eGFR after SGLT2 inhibitor initiation. Clin J Am Soc Nephrol. 2021;16(8):1278-1280. doi: 10.2215/CJN.02480221
