Early integration of palliative care improves spiritual well-being in heart failure patients with LVEF > 40%Early Palliative Care Shows Specific Benefits for Heart Failure Patients

INTRODUCTION: Early integration of palliative care (EIPC) has been proposed to improve quality of life in heart failure (HF), but evidence is mixed and potential differences by HF subtype remain unclear. This exploratory secondary analysis of the EPCHF trial examined whether patient-reported outcomes differed between patients with and without reduced EF. METHODS: A total of 205 patients with symptomatic HF were randomized 1:1 to EIPC or standard care in the EPCHF trial. For this exploratory analysis, patients were stratified by left ventricular ejection fraction (≤ 40% vs > 40%). Patient-reported outcomes were assessed over 12 months using the Kansas City Cardiomyopathy Questionnaire (KCCQ), Functional Assessment of Chronic Illness Therapy-Palliative Care (FACIT-PAL), Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS), MIDOS, and FACIT-SP12. RESULTS: KCCQ scores, HADS-anxiety, and MIDOS symptom intensity improved significantly over 12 months in both EIPC and control groups, with no significant between-group differences in either EF subgroup. Reductions in HADS-depression occurred only in patients with HFrEF, with similar improvements in both EIPC (-1.37; 95% CI: -2.31 to -0.44; p = 0.004) and control (-1.99; 95% CI: -2.89 to -1.09; p < 0.001). Among patients with LVEF > 40%, EIPC produced a significant improvement in spiritual well-being compared with standard care (mean difference 3.47; 95% CI: 0.32 to 6.62; p = 0.031), whereas the control group showed no improvement. Mortality and hospitalization rates did not differ between groups. CONCLUSION: In this exploratory EF-stratified analysis of EPCHF trial, EIPC did not improve overall HRQOL, mood, or symptom burden compared with standard care. A significant effect was observed only for spiritual well-being in patients with LVEF > 40%, suggesting that this subgroup may have distinct supportive-care needs warranting further investigation.