Gender-related differences in patient selection for and outcomes after pace and ablate for refractory atrial fibrillation: insights from a large multicenter cohort

Abstract Funding Acknowledgements Type of funding sources: None. Background A pace & ablate strategy may be performed in cases of severe refractory atrial arrhythmias. Purpose We aimed to assess gender related differences in patient selection and clinical outcomes after pace & ablate. Methods In a retrospective multicenter study, patients undergoing AV-junction-ablation between 2011 and 2019 were studied. Gender-related differences in terms of baseline characteristics, device-related complications, heart failure (HF) hospitalisations and death were assessed. Results Overall, 513 patients underwent AV-junction-ablation (median age 75 years, 50% males). At baseline, male patients were younger (72 vs. 78 years, p < 0.001), more frequently had non-paroxysmal AF (82% vs. 72%, p = 0.006), a lower LVEF (35% vs. 55%, p < 0.001) and more often received biventricular stimulation (75% vs. 25%, p < 0.001). Interventional complications were rare in both gender (1.2% vs 1.6%, p = 0.72). Following AV-junction-ablation, improvement of EHRA-class by ≥1 and of LVEF by ≥5% occurred in 44% and 19% of patients respectively, without gender differences (p = 0.66 and p = 0.38). Patients were followed for a median of 42 months in survivors (IQR 22-62). Lead-related complications (11 patients, 2.1%), infections (1 patient, 0.2%) and upgrade to ICD or CRT (18 patients, 3.5%) were rare. In Kaplan Meier analysis, HF hospitalisations during 4 years of follow-up were more common in men (22% vs 11%, p = 0.02), as were death (28% vs 21%, p = 0.02) and the combination of death or HF hospitalisation (37% vs. 26%, p = 0.008, Figure). Gender remained an independent predictor of the combined endpoint of death or HF hospitalisation after adjustment for age, LVEF and type of stimulation. Conclusion A Pace & Ablate strategy is safe and results in improvement of EHRA class and LVEF in a substantial number of patients. We found significant gender differences in patient selection for pace & ablate. Female patients had a more favorable clinical course after AV-junction-ablation, which was independent of age, EF and type of stimulation. Abstract Figure. Comb. endpoint of death or heart failure

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Severe tricuspid regurgitation worsens prognosis outcome after edge-to-edge mitral valve repair

European Heart Journal ◽

10.1093/eurheartj/ehab724.1660 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 42 (Supplement_1) ◽

Author(s):

M Groeger ◽

K Zeiml ◽

J Scheffler ◽

F Schoesser ◽

L Schneider ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Heart Failure ◽

Functional Outcome ◽

Tricuspid Regurgitation ◽

Low Grade ◽

High Grade ◽

Funding Sources ◽

Kaplan Meier ◽

Diuretic Drugs ◽

The Impact

Abstract Introduction MitraClip has been well established for treatment of severe mitral regurgitation (MR). MR and tricuspid regurgitation (TR) often occur simultaneously and symptoms of biventricular heart failure can overlap. While it has been shown that TR grade regression can be achieved through repair of MR1, presence of moderate to severe TR can increase all-cause mortality after MitraClip2. There is currently no consensus on the management of combined MR and TR. We evaluated the impact of TR on echocardiographic and functional outcome after MitraClip. Methods 370 patients underwent MitraClip for moderate to severe MR at our center from 2010 to 2018. Patients were dichotomized into low grade TR (grade <I - I (trace - mild)) and high grade TR (grade III - V (severe - torrential)). Moderate TR (grade II) was excluded. After MitraClip for MR, patients were followed up for 12 months and their echocardiographic and functional outcome was evaluated. Use of diuretic drugs throughout 12 month follow-up was registered. Results Low grade TR (<I - I) occurred in 225 patients (67.0%), high grade TR (III - V) was present in 111 patients (33.0%). 34 patients (9.2%) with moderate TR (II) were excluded. Patients with high grade TR had an increased morbidity (higher age, worse renal function, higher prevalence of atrial fibrillation, higher levels of natriuretic peptides, increased left atrial and right heart diameters, higher TR gradient). These patients also received significantly higher doses of torasemid (33.5±36.7 mg vs. 21.6±20.9 mg, p=0.003) and furosemid (163.4±155.5 mg vs. 75.8±72.3 mg, p=0.01). Average grade of MR at baseline was similar in both groups (2.9±0.46 vs. 2.8±0.5, p=0.66). Procedural success of MR repair was achieved similarly in both groups (96.4% vs. 96.9%, p=0.82) and residual MR grade immediately after device implantation was comparable (p=0.61). However, recurrent MR in the high grade TR group increased during follow up, while MR further decreased in the low grade TR group (3 months: 1.24±0.7 vs. 1.16±0.7, p=0.5; 12 months: 1.46±0.93 vs. 1.12±0.61, p=0.04). Accordingly, use of diuretic drugs after 12 months rose in the high grade TR group while it did not change or even decreased in the low grade TR group (torasemid: 40.2±48.4 mg vs. 24.1±30.0 mg, p=0.04; furosemid: 197.5±251.0 mg vs. 67.1±81.8 mg, p=0.22). Kaplan-Meier-Analysis showed significantly higher mortality (24.9 vs. 14.1%, p=0.01), higher risk for heart failure induced rehospitalisation (25,4 vs. 12,5%, p=0.005) and for major adverse cardiac and cerebrovascular events (MACCE: 42.3 vs. 29.1%, p=0.008) in the high grade TR group after 12 months. Conclusion MitraClip patients for MR with concomitant high grade TR (≥ III) had an increased morbidity at baseline compared to low grade TR patients. By MitraClip comparable reduction of MR was achieved. However, during 12 month follow-up in the high grade TR group recurrent MR occurred more often while use of diuretics increased. FUNDunding Acknowledgement Type of funding sources: None.

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Biomarkers-based personalized follow-up in chronic heart failure improves patient’s outcomes and reduces care associate cost

Health and Quality of Life Outcomes ◽

10.1186/s12955-021-01779-9 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 19 (1) ◽

Author(s):

Antonio Leon-Justel ◽

Jose I. Morgado Garcia-Polavieja ◽

Ana Isabel Alvarez-Rios ◽

Francisco Jose Caro Fernandez ◽

Pedro Agustin Pajaro Merino ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Heart Failure ◽

Hospital Admissions ◽

Left Ventricular ◽

Left Ventricular Ejection ◽

Secondary Outcome ◽

Ventricular Ejection Fraction ◽

Number Of Patients ◽

Ed Visits ◽

The Impact

Abstract Background Heart failure (HF) is a major and growing medical and economic problem, with high prevalence and incidence rates worldwide. Cardiac Biomarker is emerging as a novel tool for improving management of patients with HF with a reduced left ventricular ejection fraction (HFrEF). Methods This is a before and after interventional study, that assesses the impact of a personalized follow-up procedure for HF on patient’s outcomes and care associated cost, based on a clinical model of risk stratification and personalized management according to that risk. A total of 192 patients were enrolled and studied before the intervention and again after the intervention. The primary objective was the rate of readmissions, due to a HF. Secondary outcome compared the rate of ED visits and quality of life improvement assessed by the number of patients who had reduced NYHA score. A cost-analysis was also performed on these data. Results Admission rates significantly decreased by 19.8% after the intervention (from 30.2 to 10.4), the total hospital admissions were reduced by 32 (from 78 to 46) and the total length of stay was reduced by 7 days (from 15 to 9 days). The rate of ED visits was reduced by 44% (from 64 to 20). Thirty-one percent of patients had an improved functional class score after the intervention, whereas only 7.8% got worse. The overall cost saving associated with the intervention was € 72,769 per patient (from € 201,189 to € 128,420) and €139,717.65 for the whole group over 1 year. Conclusions A personalized follow-up of HF patients led to important outcome benefits and resulted in cost savings, mainly due to the reduction of patient hospitalization readmissions and a significant reduction of care-associated costs, suggesting that greater attention should be given to this high-risk cohort to minimize the risk of hospitalization readmissions.

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Coronary sinus catalase and ceruloplasmin levels predict all-cause mortality in patients with end-stage heart failure awaiting heart transplantation

European Heart Journal ◽

10.1093/ehjci/ehaa946.1005 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 41 (Supplement_2) ◽

Author(s):

W Szczurek ◽

M Gasior ◽

M Skrzypek ◽

G Kubiak ◽

A Kuczaj ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Heart Failure ◽

Heart Transplantation ◽

Coronary Sinus ◽

Public Institution ◽

Funding Source ◽

Organ Shortage ◽

Number Of Patients ◽

End Stage ◽

Medical University

Abstract Background, As a consequence of the worldwide increase in life expectancy and due to significant progress in the pharmacological and interventional treatment of heart failure (HF), the proportion of patients that reach an advanced phase of disease is steadily growing. Hence, more and more numerous group of patients is qualified to the heart transplantation (HT), whereas the number of potential heart donors has remained invariable since years. It contributes to deepening in disproportion between the demand for organs which can possibly be transplanted and number of patients awaiting on the HT list. Therefore, accurate identification of patients who are most likely to benefit from HT is imperative due to an organ shortage and perioperative complications. Purpose The aim of this study was to identify the factors associated with reduced survival during a 1.5-year follow-up in patients with end-stage HF awating HT. Method We propectively analysed 85 adult patients with end-stage HF, who were accepted for HT at our institution between 2015 and 2016. During right heart catheterization, 10 ml of coronary sinus blood was additionally collected to determine the panel of oxidative stress markers. Oxidative-antioxidant balance markers included glutathione reductase (GR), glutathione peroxidase (GPx), glutathione transferase (GST), superoxide dismutase (SOD) and its mitochondrial isoenzyme (MnSOD) and cytoplasmic (Cu/ZnSOD), catalase (CAT), malondialdehyde (MDA), hydroperoxides lipid (LPH), lipofuscin (LPS), sulfhydryl groups (SH-), ceruloplasmin (CR). The study protocol was approved by the ethics committee of the Medical University of Silesia in Katowice. The endpoint of the study was mortality from any cause during a 1.5 years follow-up. Results The median age of the patients was 53.0 (43.0–56.0) years and 90.6% of them were male. All included patients were treated optimally in accordance with the guidelines of the European Society of Cardiology. Mortality rate during the follow-up period was 40%. Multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that ceruloplasmin (odds ratio [OR] = 0.745 [0.565–0.981], p=0.0363), catalase (OR = 0.950 [0.915–0.98], p=0.0076), as well as high creatinine levels (OR = 1.071 [1.002–1.144], p=0.0422) were risk factors for death during 1.5 year follow-up. Conclusions Coronary sinus lower ceruloplasmin and catalase levels, as well as higher creatinine level are independently associated with death during 1.5 year follow-up. Funding Acknowledgement Type of funding source: Public Institution(s). Main funding source(s): Medical University of SIlesia, Katowice, POland

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Improvement of the heart failure patient process for the prevention of new events through tele-education and continuous tele-optimization of the treatment by nursing staff

European Journal of Preventive Cardiology ◽

10.1093/eurjpc/zwab061.415 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 28 (Supplement_1) ◽

Author(s):

M Perez Serrano ◽

CNP Carlos Nicolas Perez Garcia ◽

DEV Daniel Enriquez Vazquez ◽

MFE Marcos Ferrandez Escarabajal ◽

JDD Jesus Diz Diaz ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Heart Failure ◽

Nyha Class ◽

Randomized Study ◽

Primary Objective ◽

Control Group ◽

Close Monitoring ◽

Chronic Patients ◽

Face To Face ◽

Funding Sources

Abstract Funding Acknowledgements Type of funding sources: None. Introduction patients with heart failure (HF) are especially vulnerable to SAR-CoV-2 infection especially due to their worse prognosis for this disease. Purpose to demonstrate that patients with HF will present similar health outcomes if their education and pharmacological treatment is optimised remotely by a nurse rather than through conventional care. Methods A single-centre, observational, prospective, non-randomized study was carried out in which two groups were compared. The experimental group had most of their care provided virtually by a nurse who could optimise their medication according to the clinical guides whilst the control group received conventional face-to-face care. During a follow-up period of 6 months, patients included in the study have an initial face-to-face consultation with a cardiologist and an evaluation of the patient where the treatment objectives are established. The rest of the follow-ups were done through videoconsultation with the nurse every 15 days for 6 months where the neurohormonal treatment was optimized and an educational program was carried out with different cardiovascular educational topics. Results Thirty-seven patients have been included. Sex: 30 men (81.0%) and 7 women (19.0%) Mean age: 67.9 years (12.8). Range 42-87 years. Etiology: 61.2% ischemic and 38.8% non-ischemic mean LVEF at inclusion = 30.2%. A total of 17 patients have completed the study: a 13% average improvement of FEVI, a reduction of NT-proBNP of and improvement in functional heart failure class. The primary objective was to compare the proportion of neurohormonal drugs prescribed, as well as the mean of the maximum doses reached in each after 6 months of follow-up, as well as mean ejection fraction, NYHA class and mean NT-proBNP (Table 1) Conclusions Telemedicine offers us valuable tools that allow us to take care of chronic patients, reducing exposure to the virus as much as possible. Efficient use of virtual tools and human resources makes close monitoring possible. Specialized nursing is a key element in the education, pharmacological optimization and monitoring of these patients. Parámetros analíticos Valores iniciales Valores finales NT-proBNP ( pg/mL) 3469,7 (± 4057,3) 1446,4 (± 1305,2) Creatinina (mg/dL) 1,10 (± 0,24) 1,12 (± 0,39) TFG (mL/min/1,73m2 ) 65,4 (± 21,2) 62,7 (± 23, 6) Potasio (meq /L) 4,5 (± 0,5) 4,6 (± 0,4) Fevi 29,4 % (± 7,2) FEVI 42,7 % (± 9,6)

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Evaluation of a multimarker panel in chronic heart failure: a 10-year follow-up

Biomarkers in Medicine ◽

10.2217/bmm-2020-0722 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Susanne Bauer ◽

Christina Strack ◽

Ekrem Ücer ◽

Stefan Wallner ◽

Ute Hubauer ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Heart Failure ◽

Prognostic Role ◽

Blood Samples ◽

Kaplan Meier ◽

Risk Of Mortality ◽

Patients With Heart Failure ◽

All Cause Mortality ◽

Long Time

Aim: We assessed the 10-year prognostic role of 11 biomarkers with different pathophysiological backgrounds. Materials & methods/results: Blood samples from 144 patients with heart failure were analyzed. After 10 years of follow-up (median follow-up was 104 months), data regarding all-cause mortality were acquired. Regarding Kaplan–Meier analysis, all markers, except TIMP-1 and GDF-15, were significant predictors for all-cause mortality. We created a multimarker model with nt-proBNP, hsTnT and IGF-BP7 and found that patients in whom all three markers were elevated had a significantly worse long-time-prognosis than patients without elevated markers. Conclusion: In a 10-year follow-up, a combination of three biomarkers (NT-proBNP, hs-TnT, IGF-BP7) identified patients with a high risk of mortality.

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Paradox of self-care gender differences among Italian patients with chronic heart failure: findings from a real-world cross-sectional study

BMJ Open ◽

10.1136/bmjopen-2018-021966 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 8 (9) ◽

pp. e021966 ◽

Cited By ~ 10

Author(s):

Federica Dellafiore ◽

Cristina Arrigoni ◽

Francesco Pittella ◽

Gianluca Conte ◽

Arianna Magon ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Heart Failure ◽

Gender Differences ◽

Chronic Heart Failure ◽

Real World ◽

Self Care ◽

Cross Sectional Study ◽

Sectional Study ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Caregiver Relationship

AimThe aim of this study was to critically analyse and describe gender differences related to self-care among patients with chronic heart failure (HF).Methods and resultsA monocentric real-world cohort of 346 patients with chronic HF in follow-up was used for this cross-sectional study. We report data related to the cohort’s demographic and clinical characteristics. Self-care was assessed using the Self-Care of Heart Failure Index before patients’ discharge. After bivariate analysis, logistical regression models were used to describe the relationship between gender, self-care behaviours and self-care confidence. While men were found to have more than quadruple the risk of poor self-care than women (OR 4.596; 95% CI 1.075 to 19.650), men were also found to be approximately 60% more likely to have adequate self-care confidence than women (OR 0.412; 95% CI 0.104 to 0.962). Considering that self-care confidence is described as a positive predictor of behaviours, our results suggest a paradox. It is possible that the patient–caregiver relationship mediates the effect of confidence on behaviours. Overall, adequate levels of self-care behaviours are a current issue, ranging 7.6%–18.0%.ConclusionThis study sets the stage for future research where elements of the patient–caregiver relationship ought to be considered to inform the planning of appropriate educational interventions. We recommend routinely measuring patients’ self-care behaviours to guide their follow-up and as a basis for any changes in their daily life behaviours.

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The photoplethysmography dictionary: practical guidance on signal interpretation and clinical scenarios from TeleCheck-AF

European Heart Journal ◽

10.1093/eurheartj/ehab724.0320 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 42 (Supplement_1) ◽

Author(s):

R M J Van Der Velden ◽

D V M Verhaert ◽

A N L Hermans ◽

M Gawalko ◽

D Duncker ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Heart Rate ◽

Clinical Scenario ◽

On Demand ◽

Practical Guide ◽

Funding Sources ◽

Internal Review ◽

Clinical Scenarios ◽

Number Of Patients

Abstract Introduction During the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, numerous centres in Europe used on-demand photoplethysmography (PPG) technology to remotely assess heart rate and rhythm in conjunction with teleconsultations within the TeleCheck-AF project. Purpose To develop an educational structured stepwise practical guide on how to interpret PPG signals and to study typical clinical scenarios how on-demand PPG was used in the TeleCheck-AF project. Methods During an online conference, the structured stepwise practical guide on how to interpret PPG signals was discussed and further refined during an internal review process. We provide the number of respective PPG recordings and number of patients managed within a clinical scenario during the TeleCheck-AF project. Results To interpret PPG recordings, we introduce a structured stepwise practical guide and provide representative PPG recordings. In the TeleCheck-AF project, 2522 subjects collected 90.616 recordings. The majority of these recordings was classified by the PPG algorithm as sinus rhythm (57.6%), followed by atrial fibrillation (AF) (23.6%). In 9.7% of recordings the quality was too low to interpret. Other observed rhythms were tachycardia (1.4%), extra systoles (4.7%), bigeminy episodes (1.8%), trigeminy episodes (0.6%) and atrial flutter (0.2%). The most frequent clinical scenario where PPG technology was used in the TeleCheck-AF project was follow-up after AF ablation (1110 patients) followed by heart rate and rhythm assessment around (tele)consultation (966 patients), sometimes including remote PPG-guided adaption of rate or rhythm control. 275 patients were followed around cardioversion, either (semi-)acute or elective. Other possible scenarios are assessment of palpitations, assessment of symptom-rhythm correlation and monitoring during up-titration of heart failure medication. Conclusion We introduce a newly developed structured stepwise practical guide on PPG signal interpretation developed based on presented experiences from TeleCheck-AF. The present clinical scenarios for the use of on-demand PPG technology derived from the TeleCheck-AF project will help to implement PPG technology in the management of arrhythmia patients. FUNDunding Acknowledgement Type of funding sources: None. TeleCheck-AF clinical scenarios Classification of PPG recordings

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Exploring the temporal relationship between atrial fibrillation and heart failure development. Analysis from nationwide database

European Heart Journal ◽

10.1093/eurheartj/ehab724.0430 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 42 (Supplement_1) ◽

Author(s):

Y Cottin ◽

B.M Ben Messaoud ◽

H Yao ◽

G Laurent ◽

A Bisson ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Heart Failure ◽

Atrial Fibrillation ◽

Ischemic Stroke ◽

Cardiovascular Death ◽

Administrative Database ◽

Outcome Analysis ◽

Funding Sources ◽

Temporal Relationships ◽

Development Analysis

Abstract Background Atrial fibrillation (AF) and heart failure (HF) often coexist and are closely intertwined, each condition worsening the other. The temporal relationships between these two disorders have not yet been fully explored. We assessed, on a nationwide scale, the prognosis of patients hospitalized with HF and AF, based on the timing of AF and HF development. Methods From the administrative database covering hospital care for the whole French population, we identified 1,349,638 patients diagnosed with both AF and HF between 2010 and 2018: 956,086 of these AF patients developed HF first (prevalent HF) and 393,552 developed HF after AF (incident HF). The outcome analysis (all-cause death, cardiovascular [CV] death, ischemic stroke or hospitalization for HF) was performed with follow-up starting at the time of last event between AF or HF in the whole cohort and in 427,848 propensity-score-matched patients (213,924 with incident HF and 213,924 with prevalent HF). Results During follow-up (mean follow-up 1.6±1.9 year), matched patients with prevalent HF had a higher risk of all-cause death (21.6 vs 19.2%/year), CV death (7.6 vs 6.5%/year) as well as non-cardiovascular death (13.9 vs 12.7%/year) than those with incident HF. The risk for ischemic stroke was lower in the prevalent HF group (1.2 vs 2.4%/year). Conclusion In patients hospitalized with both AF and HF, we identified two distinct clinical entities based on the chronological sequence of the two disorders. Patients in whom HF preceded AF (prevalent HF) had higher mortality and higher risk of rehospitalization for HF. FUNDunding Acknowledgement Type of funding sources: None.

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Right Heart Failure and Patient Selection for Isolated Tricuspid Valve Surgery

Journal of Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery ◽

10.1016/j.jtcvs.2021.10.059 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Haytham Elgharably ◽

Ahmed Ibrahim ◽

Bradley Rosinski ◽

Lucy Thuita ◽

Eugene H. Blackstone ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Heart Failure ◽

Tricuspid Valve ◽

Patient Selection ◽

Right Heart Failure ◽

Valve Surgery ◽

Right Heart ◽

Tricuspid Valve Surgery ◽

Selection For

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A New Biomarker Tool for Risk Stratification in “De Novo” Acute Heart Failure (OROME)

10.21203/rs.3.rs-154510/v1 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Rosa Agra Bermejo ◽

Carla Cacho-Antonio ◽

Eva Gonzalez-Babarro ◽

Adriana Rozados-Luis ◽

Marinela Couselo-Seijas ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Heart Failure ◽

Predictive Model ◽

De Novo ◽

Acute Phase Reactant ◽

Rank Test ◽

Post Discharge ◽

Kaplan Meier ◽

Acute Phase Reactant Protein ◽

Severity Of The Disease

Abstract Background: Inflammation is one of the mechanisms involved on heart failure (HF) pathophysiology. Thus, the acute phase reactant protein, orosomucoid, was associated with a worse post-discharge prognosis in de novo acute HF (AHF). However, the presence of anti-inflammatory adipokine, omentin, might protect and reduce the severity of the disease. We wanted to evaluate the value of omentin and orosomucoid combination for stratifying risk of these patients.Methods and Results: Two independent cohorts of patients admitted for de novo AHF in two centers were included in the study (n=218). Orosomucoid and omentin circulating levels were determined by ELISA at discharge. Patients were follow-up for 317 (3-575) days. A predictive model was determined for primary endpoint, death and/or HF readmission. Differences in survival were evaluated using a Log-rank test. According cut-off values of orosomucoid and omentin, patients were classified on UpDown (high orosomucoid and low omentin levels), equal (both proteins high or low) and DownUp (low orosomucoid and high omentin levels). The Kaplan Meier determined worse prognosis for the UpDown group (Long-rank test p=0.02). The predictive model that includes the combination of orosomucoid and omentin groups (OROME) + NT-proBNP values achieved a higher C-index=0.84 than the predictive model with NT-proBNP (C-index=0.80) or OROME (C-index=0.79) or orosomucoid alone (C-index=0.80). Conclusions: The orosomucoid and omentin determination stratifies de novo AHF patients in high, mild and low risk of rehospitalization and/or death for HF. Its combination with NT-proBNP improves its predictive value in this group of patients.

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