scholarly journals Role of confirmed and potential predictors of an unfavorable outcome in heart failure in everyday clinical practice

Author(s):  
Anna Chuda ◽  
Maciej Banach ◽  
Marek Maciejewski ◽  
Agata Bielecka-Dabrowa

AbstractHeart failure (HF) is the only cardiovascular disease with an ever increasing incidence. HF, through reduced functional capacity, frequent exacerbations of disease, and repeated hospitalizations, results in poorer quality of life, decreased work productivity, and significantly increased costs of the public health system. The main challenge in the treatment of HF is the availability of reliable prognostic models that would allow patients and doctors to develop realistic expectations about the prognosis and to choose the appropriate therapy and monitoring method. At this moment, there is a lack of universal parameters or scales on the basis of which we could easily capture the moment of deterioration of HF patients’ condition. Hence, it is crucial to identify such factors which at the same time will be widely available, cheap, and easy to use. We can find many studies showing different predictors of unfavorable outcome in HF patients: thorough assessment with echocardiography imaging, exercise testing (e.g., 6-min walk test, cardiopulmonary exercise testing), and biomarkers (e.g., N-terminal pro-brain type natriuretic peptide, high-sensitivity troponin T, galectin-3, high-sensitivity C-reactive protein). Some of them are very promising, but more research is needed to create a specific panel on the basis of which we will be able to assess HF patients. At this moment despite identification of many markers of adverse outcomes, clinical decision-making in HF is still predominantly based on a few basic parameters, such as the presence of HF symptoms (NYHA class), left ventricular ejection fraction, and QRS complex duration and morphology.

2020 ◽  
Vol 41 (Supplement_2) ◽  
Author(s):  
B.M.L Rocha ◽  
G.J Lopes Da Cunha ◽  
P.M.D Lopes ◽  
P.N Freitas ◽  
F Gama ◽  
...  

Abstract Background Cardiopulmonary exercise testing (CPET) is recommended in the evaluation of selected patients with Heart Failure (HF). Notwithstanding, its prognostic significance has mainly been ascertained in those with left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) <40% (i.e., HFrEF). The main goal of our study was to assess the role of CPET in risk stratification of HF with mid-range (40–49%) LVEF (i.e., HFmrEF) compared to HFrEF. Methods We conducted a single-center retrospective study of consecutive patients with HF and LVEF <50% who underwent CPET from 2003–2018. The primary composite endpoint of death, heart transplant or HF hospitalization was assessed. Results Overall, 404 HF patients (mean age 57±11 years, 78.2% male, 55.4% ischemic HF) were included, of whom 321 (79.5%) had HFrEF and 83 (20.5%) HFmrEF. Compared to the former, those with HFmrEF had a significantly higher mean peak oxygen uptake (pVO2) (20.2±6.1 vs 16.1±5.0 mL/kg/min; p<0.001), lower median minute ventilation/carbon dioxide production (VE/VCO2) [35.0 (IQR: 29.1–41.2) vs 39.0 (IQR: 32.0–47.0); p=0.002) and fewer patients with exercise oscillatory ventilation (EOV) (22.0 vs 46.3%; p<0.001). Over a median follow-up of 28.7 (IQR: 13.0–92.3) months, 117 (28.9%) patients died, 53 (13.1%) underwent heart transplantation, and 134 (33.2%) had at least one HF hospitalization. In both HFmrEF and HFrEF, pVO2 <12 mL/kg/min, VE/VCO2 >35 and EOV identified patients at higher risk for events (all p<0.05). In Cox regression multivariate analysis, pVO2 was predictive of the primary endpoint in both HFmrEF and HFrEF (HR per +1 mL/kg/min: 0.81; CI: 0.72–0.92; p=0.001; and HR per +1 mL/kg/min: 0.92; CI: 0.87–0.97; p=0.004), as was EOV (HR: 4.79; CI: 1.41–16.39; p=0.012; and HR: 2.15; CI: 1.51–3.07; p<0.001). VE/VCO2, on the other hand, was predictive of events in HFrEF but not in HFmrEF (HR per unit: 1.03; CI: 1.02–1.05; p<0.001; and HR per unit: 0.99; CI: 0.95–1.03; p=0.512, respectively). ROC curve analysis demonstrated that a pVO2 >16.7 and >15.8 mL/kg/min more accurately identified patients at lower risk for the primary endpoint (NPV: 91.2 and 60.5% for HFmrEF and HFrEF, respectively; both p<0.001). Conclusions CPET is a useful tool in HFmrEF. Both pVO2 and EOV independently predicted the primary endpoint in HFmrEF and HFrEF, contrasting with VE/VCO2, which remained predictive only in latter group. Our findings strengthen the prognostic role of CPET in HF with either reduced or mid-range LVEF. Funding Acknowledgement Type of funding source: None


2021 ◽  
Vol 28 (Supplement_1) ◽  
Author(s):  
P Garcia Bras ◽  
A Valentim Goncalves ◽  
J Reis ◽  
T Pereira Da Silva ◽  
R Ilhao Moreira ◽  
...  

Abstract Funding Acknowledgements Type of funding sources: None. Introduction Cardiopulmonary exercise testing (CPET) is used for risk stratification in patients with chronic heart failure (CHF). However, there is a lack of information regarding CPET prognostic power in patients under new HF therapies such as sacubitril/valsartan, Mitraclip, IV iron or SGLT2 inhibitors. The aim of this study was to evaluate the prognostic value of CPET parameters in a contemporary subset of patients with optimal medical and device therapy for CHF. Methods Retrospective evaluation of patients with CHF submitted to CPET in a tertiary center. Patients were followed up for 24 months for the composite endpoint of cardiac death, urgent heart transplantation or left ventricular assist device. CPET parameters, including peak oxygen consumption (pVO2) and VE/VCO2 slope, were analysed and their predictive power was measured. HF events were stratified according to cut-off values defined by the International Society for Heart and Lung Transplantation (ISHLT) guidelines: pVO2 of ≤12 mL/Kg/min and VE/VCO2 slope of >35. Results CPET was performed in 204 patients, from 2014 to 2018. Mean age was 59 ± 13 years, 83% male, with a mean left ventricular ejection fraction of 33 ± 8%, and a mean Heart Failure Survival Score of 8.6 ± 1.3. The discriminative power of CPET parameters is displayed in the Table. In patients with pVO2 ≤12 mL/Kg/min, the composite endpoint occurred in 18% of patients. A pVO2 value of ≤12 mL/Kg/min had a positive predictive power of 18% while pVO2 >12 had a negative predictive power of 93%. Regarding VE/VCO2 slope >35, the composite endpoint occurred in 13% of patients. A VE/VCO2 slope value of >35 had a positive predictive power of 13% while VE/VCO2 slope <35 had a negative predictive power or 94%. Conclusion Using ISHLT guideline cut-off values for advanced HF therapies patient selection, there was a reduced number of HF events (<20%) at 24 months in patients under optimal CHF therapy. While pVO2 and VE/VCO2 slope are still valuable parameters in risk stratification, redefining cut-off values may be necessary in a modern HF population. Discriminative power of CPET parameters Parameters HR; 95% CI AUC p-value Peak VO2 0.824 (0.728-0.934) 0.781 0.001 Percent of predicted pVO2 0.942 (0.907-0.978) 0.774 0.002 VE/VCO2 slope 1.068 (1.031-1.106) 0.756 0.008 Cardiorespiratory optimal point 1.118 (1.053-1.188) 0.746 0.004 PETCO2 maximum exercise 0.854 (0.768-0.950) 0.775 0.003 Ventilatory Power 0.358 (0.176-0.728) 0.796 0.002 HR Hazard ratio, AUC: Area under the curve, PETCO2: end-tidal CO2 pressure


2020 ◽  
Vol 13 (7) ◽  
Author(s):  
Adam D. DeVore ◽  
Anne S. Hellkamp ◽  
Laine Thomas ◽  
Nancy M. Albert ◽  
Javed Butler ◽  
...  

Background: Among patients with heart failure (HF) with reduced ejection fraction (EF), improvements in left ventricular EF (LVEF) are associated with better outcomes and remain an important treatment goal. Patient factors associated with LVEF improvement in routine clinical practice have not been clearly defined. Methods: CHAMP-HF (Change the Management of Patients with Heart Failure) is a prospective registry of outpatients with HF with reduced EF. Assessments of LVEF are recorded when performed for routine care. We analyzed patients with both baseline and ≥1 follow-up LVEF assessments to describe factors associated with LVEF improvement. Results: In CHAMP-HF, 2623 patients had a baseline and follow-up LVEF assessment. The median age was 67 (interquartile range, 58–75) years, 40% had an ischemic cardiomyopathy, and median HF duration was 2.8 years (0.7–6.8). Median LVEF was 30% (23–35), and median change on follow-up was 4% (−2 to −13); 19% of patients had a decrease in LVEF, 31% had no change, 49% had a ≥5% increase, and 34% had a ≥10% increase. In a multivariable model, the following factors were associated with ≥5% LVEF increase: shorter HF duration (odds ratio [OR], 1.21 [95% CI, 1.17–1.25]), no implantable cardioverter defibrillator (OR, 1.46 [95% CI, 1.34–1.55]), lower LVEF (OR, 1.15 [95% CI, 1.10–1.19]), nonischemic cardiomyopathy (OR, 1.24 [95% CI, 1.09–1.36]), and no coronary disease (OR, 1.20 [95% CI, 1.03–1.35]). Conclusions: In a large cohort of outpatients with chronic HF with reduced EF, improvements in LVEF were common. Common baseline cardiac characteristics identified a population that was more likely to respond over time. These data may inform clinical decision making and should be the basis for future research on myocardial recovery.


Author(s):  
Julia Hoffmann ◽  
Michael Behnes ◽  
Uzair Ansari ◽  
Kathrin Weidner ◽  
Philip Kuche ◽  
...  

Background This study evaluates the associations between high-sensitivity troponin I and T (hs-TnI/hs-TnT) and the stages of heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF)/diastolic dysfunction. Methods Blood samples for biomarker measurements (hs-TnI/hs-TnT/NT-proBNP) were collected within 24 h of routine echocardiographic examination. Patients with left ventricular ejection fraction <50%, right ventricular dysfunction and moderate-to-severe valvular heart disease were excluded. Graduation of diastolic dysfunction was determined according to current guidelines. Results A total of 70 patients were included. Hs-TnT concentrations increased significantly according to the progression of diastolic dysfunction ( P = 0.024). Hs-TnT was able to discriminate patients with diastolic dysfunction grade III (AUC = 0.737; P = 0.013), while NT-proBNP revealed a greater AUC (AUC 0.798; P = 0.002). Concentrations of hs-TnI increased only numerically according to the increasing stages of diastolic dysfunction ( P = 0.353). In multivariable logistic regression models, hs-TnT concentrations > 28 ng/L were associated with diastolic dysfunction grade III (OR = 4.7, P = 0.024), even after adjusting for NT-proBNP. Conclusion Increasing concentrations of hs-TnT may reflect the stages of diastolic dysfunction being assessed by echocardiography, whereas hs-TnI does not show any association with diastolic dysfunction.


2009 ◽  
Vol 116 (5) ◽  
pp. 415-422 ◽  
Author(s):  
Angela B. Scardovi ◽  
Renata De Maria ◽  
Andrea Celestini ◽  
Silvia Perna ◽  
Claudio Coletta ◽  
...  

To date, the role of CPET (cardiopulmonary exercise testing) for risk stratification in elderly patients with HF (heart failure) with depressed or preserved ventricular function has not been evaluated. In the present study, we analysed whether CPET is useful in predicting outcome in this population. A total of 220 NYHA (New York Heart Association) class I–III patients with HF ≥70 years of age [median age, 75 years; 23% had NYHA class III; and 59% had preserved ventricular systolic function (left ventricular ejection fraction ≥40%)] performed maximal CPET (peak expiratory exchange ratio >1.00). Median peak oxygen uptake was 11.9 ml·kg−1 of body weight·min−1, median V̇E/V̇CO2 slope (slope of the minute ventilation/carbon dioxide production ratio) was 33.2 and 45% had an EVR (enhanced ventilatory response) to exercise (V̇E/V̇CO2 slope ≥34). During 19 months of follow-up, 94 patients (43%) met the combined end point of death and hospital admission for worsening HF, arrhythmias or acute coronary syndromes. By Cox multivariable analysis, a creatinine clearance of <50 ml/min {HR (hazard ratio), 1.657 [95% CI (confidence interval), 1.055–2.602]} and EVR [HR, 1.965 (95% CI, 1.195–3.231)] were the best predictors of outcome, while ventricular function had no influence on prognosis. In conclusion, in elderly patients with HF, a steeper V̇E/V̇CO2 slope provides additional information for risk stratification across the spectrum of ventricular function and identifies a high-risk population, commonly not considered in exercise testing guidelines.


2019 ◽  
Vol 116 (1) ◽  
pp. 91-100 ◽  
Author(s):  
Pierpaolo Pellicori ◽  
Jufen Zhang ◽  
Joe Cuthbert ◽  
Alessia Urbinati ◽  
Parin Shah ◽  
...  

Abstract Aims Plasma concentrations of high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hsCRP) are often raised in chronic heart failure (CHF) and might indicate inflammatory processes that could be a therapeutic target. We aimed to study the associations between hsCRP, mode and cause of death in patients with CHF. Methods and results We enrolled 4423 patients referred to a heart failure clinic serving a local population. CHF was defined as relevant symptoms or signs with either a reduced left ventricular ejection fraction &lt;40% or raised plasma concentrations of amino-terminal pro-B type natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP &gt;125 pg/mL). The median [interquartile range (IQR)] plasma hsCRP for patients diagnosed with CHF (n = 3756) was 3.9 (1.6–8.5) mg/L and 2.7 (1.3–5.1) mg/L for those who were not (n = 667; P &lt; 0.001). Patients with hsCRP ≥10 mg/L (N = 809; 22%) were older and more congested than those with hsCRP &lt;2 mg/L (N = 1117, 30%). During a median follow-up of 53 (IQR 28–93) months, 1784 (48%) patients with CHF died. Higher plasma hsCRP was associated with greater mortality, independent of age, symptom severity, creatinine, and NT-proBNP. Comparing a hsCRP ≥10 mg/L to &lt;2 mg/L, the hazard ratio for all-cause mortality was 2.49 (95% confidence interval 2.19–2.84; P &lt; 0.001), for cardiovascular (CV) mortality was 2.26 (1.91–2.68; P &lt; 0.001), and for non-CV mortality was 2.96 (2.40–3.65; P &lt; 0.001). Conclusion In patients with CHF, a raised plasma hsCRP is associated with more congestion and a worse prognosis. The proportion of deaths that are non-CV also increases with higher hsCRP.


Circulation ◽  
2014 ◽  
Vol 130 (suppl_2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Shigeru Matsui ◽  
Junnichi Ishii ◽  
Hiroshi Takahashi ◽  
Ryuunosuke Okuyama ◽  
Hideki Kawai ◽  
...  

Background: Hypertension is one of the most prevalent cardiovascular diseases and one of the most important causes of heart failure (HF) with preserved left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF). We prospectively investigated the incremental predictive value of a combination of N-terminal pro-B-type natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP), high-sensitivity troponin T (hsTnT), and galectin-3 for HF admission in outpatients with hypertension. Methods: Baseline serum NT-proBNP, hsTnT, and galectin-3 levels were measured in 443 outpatients (mean age, 69.4 years) with hypertension and LVEF ≥ 50%. Using tissue Doppler echocardiography, E/e’ ratio was calculated. Among these patients, 34% had a history of cardiovascular disease, and 46% had a history of diabetes. Results: Galectin-3 levels significantly (p < 0.0001) correlated with E/e’ ratio (r = 0.21) and estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR; r = –0.78). During a mean follow-up period of 899 days, there were 40 (9%) HF admissions. Using multivariate Cox regression analysis including 10 clinical, biochemical, and echocardiographic variables, increased NT-proBNP (relative risk, 2.88 per 10-fold increment, p = 0.007) and hsTnT (4.30 per 10-fold increment, p = 0.004) levels, but not ga1ectin-3 levels, were shown to be independent predictors of HF admission. When patients were stratified into four groups according to NT-proBNP levels ≥ a median value of 193.7 pg/mL and/or hsTnT levels ≥ a median value of 14 pg/mL, HF admission rates were 1.1%, 2.1%, 4.3%, and 20%, respectively (p < 0.0001). Furthermore, when NT-proBNP and hsTnT levels were combined, the predictive values for HF admission were increased, as shown by the C-index, net reclassification improvement (NRI), and integrated discrimination improvement (IDI; Table 1). Conclusions: The combined assessment of NT-proBNP and hsTnT levels can improve the prediction of HF admission in outpatients with hypertension.


2019 ◽  
Vol 40 (Supplement_1) ◽  
Author(s):  
A Hirashiki ◽  
K Kawashima ◽  
K Nomoto ◽  
M Kokubo ◽  
A Shimizu ◽  
...  

Abstract Introduction Frailty is a syndrome associated with aging that produces subclinical dysfunction across multiple organ systems and leads to increased risk of mortality. The Kihon Checklist (KCL) was developed by the Japanese Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare to identify older persons in need of care; it is a reliable tool for predicting general frailty in older adults. There is little information about the relationship between frailty status and exercise capacity. Purpose To investigate whether cardiopulmonary exercise testing (CPX) parameters are associated with frailty in stable elderly patients with heart failure (HF). Methods Ninety-two stable elderly patients with HF were evaluated by using CPX and the total KCL (t-KCL). A t-KCL score of 0–3 was classified as robust, 4–7 as pre-frail, and ≥8 as frail. Diagnostic performance (DP) -plot analysis was used to assess the utility of CPX parameters to distinguish between the presence and absence of frailty. Results Mean age, left ventricular ejection fraction, plasma brain natriuretic peptide, peak work rate (WR), peak VO2, and t-KCL score were 81.7 years, 57.8%, 182 pg/mL, 49.6 W, 13.2 mL/kg/min, and 10.7, respectively. t-KCL score was significantly correlated with peak VO2 (r=−0.53, p<0.001) and peak WR (r=−0.63, p<0.001). In the patients with frailty (n=63), peak WR was significantly lower than that in patients without frailty (n=29; 40.8 and 71.0 W, respectively, p<0.001). Multivariate analysis revealed that peak WR was the only significant independent predictor of frailty (β=−0.111, p<0.001). In the DP-plot analysis, a cut-off value for peak WR of 51.9 W was the best predictor of frailty (accuracy; 0.706, Figure). Cut-off value for peak WR Conclusions Frailty status was significantly associated with peak WR in stable elderly patients with HF. CPX may be useful for assessing frailty status in stable elderly patients with HF.


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