According to the CONSENSUS trial, what is the number needed to treat to prevent one death at 6 months with enalapril?

The CONSENSUS trial, which evaluated the effects of enalapril in patients with heart failure and left ventricular dysfunction, found significant benefits in mortality rates. The number needed to treat (NNT) reflects the average number of patients who need to be treated with a specific therapy to prevent one additional adverse outcome—in this case, death.

In the study, enalapril demonstrated a reduction in mortality at six months for patients with heart failure due to systolic dysfunction. The findings indicated that treating approximately six patients with enalapril would prevent one death within that six-month period. This illustrates the efficacy of enalapril in this specific patient population, highlighting its role in improving survival rates in heart failure management.

The calculated NNT of six indicates a strong clinical impact, which underscores the importance of utilizing angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors like enalapril in heart failure treatment protocols. Overall, the data from the CONSENSUS trial reinforces how effective enalapril can be in reducing mortality, making it a critical component of therapeutic strategies for patients with heart failure.