ESC Guidelines for the diagnosis and treatment of acute and chronic heart failure 2012: The Task Force for the Diagnosis and Treatment of Acute and Chronic Heart Failure 2012 of the European Society of Cardiology. Developed in collaboration with the Heart Failure Association (HFA) of the ESC

Eight years follow-up of a patient with triple vessel disease patient complicated with heart failure without invasive intervention for home-based exercise rehabilitation combined traditional Chinese medicine: A case report

We report 8-year follow-up of a home-based exercise rehabilitation program combined traditional Chinese medicine for a patient with triple vessel disease patient complicated with heart failure without invasive intervention. Improvements were observed in all outcomes.

Prognostic value of triglyceride glucose (TyG) index in patients with acute decompensated heart failure

Background

The triglyceride glucose (TyG) index has been proposed as a reliable marker of insulin resistance (IR) and an independent predictor of cardiovascular disease risk. However, its prognostic value in patients with acute decompensated heart failure (ADHF) remains unclear.

Methods

A total of 932 hospitalized patients with ADHF from January 1st, 2018 to February 1st, 2021 were included in this retrospective study. The TyG index was calculated as ln [fasting triglyceride level (mg/dL) × fasting plasma glucose level (mg/dL)/2]. Patients were divided into tertiles according to TyG index values. The primary endpoints were all-cause death, cardiovascular (CV) death and major adverse cardiac and cerebral events (MACCEs) during follow-up. We used multivariate adjusted Cox proportional hazard models and restricted cubic spline analysis to investigate the associations of the TyG index with primary endpoints.

Results

During a median follow-up time of 478 days, all-cause death, CV death and MACCEs occurred in 140 (15.0%), 103 (11.1%) and 443 (47.9%) cases, respectively. In multivariate Cox proportional hazard models, the risk of incident primary endpoints was associated with the highest TyG tertile. After adjustment for confounding factors, hazard ratios (HRs) for the highest tertile (TyG index ≥ 9.32) versus the lowest tertile (TyG index < 8.83) were 2.09 (95% confidence interval [CI], 1.23–3.55; p = 0.006) for all-cause death, 2.31 (95% CI, 1.26–4.24; p = 0.007) for CV death and 1.83 (95% CI, 1.18–3.01; p = 0.006) for MACCEs. Restricted cubic spline analysis also showed that the cumulative risk of primary endpoints increased as TyG index increased. When the TyG index was used as a continuous variable, the hazard ratios of the three primary endpoints rapidly increased within the higher range of the TyG index (all cause death, TyG > 9.08; CV death, TyG > 9.46; MACCEs, TyG > 9.87).

Conclusions

The elevated TyG index was independently associated with poor prognosis, and thus would be useful in the risk stratification in patients with ADHF.

Heart failure with a preserved ejection fraction and the EMPEROR-Preserved Trial: a review of how we got here

Heart failure with a preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF), previously known as diastolic heart failure, was first recognized more than 50 years ago. In spite of all the advances in the knowledge of HFpEF, important questions remain, namely the fact that no therapy has been shown to improve outcomes in these patients. The EMPEROR-Preserved Trial, a trial on the use of empagliflozin on patients with HFpEF, published in October 2021, was the first trial to ever show a change in outcomes in these patients. This article reviews the history of HFpEF and the problems related to its definition and diagnosis over time, and critically reviews the results of the EMPEROR-Preserved Trial in light of these.

Angiotensin Receptor-Neprilysin Inhibitor Attenuates Cardiac Hypertrophy and Improves Diastolic Dysfunction in A Mouse Model of Heart Failure with Preserved Ejection Fraction

LCZ696, an angiotensin receptor-neprilysin inhibitor, has shown promising clinical efficacy in patients with heart failure (HF) with reduced ejection fraction. However, its potential effects on heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF) are still not fully understood. We evaluated the effect of LCZ696 on HFpEF in transverse aortic constriction mice and compared it with the effect of the angiotensin receptor blocker valsartan. We found that LCZ696 improved cardiac diastolic function by reducing ventricular hypertrophy and fibrosis in mice with overload-induced diastolic dysfunction. In addition, there was superior inhibition of LCZ696 than stand-alone valsartan. As a potential underlying mechanism, we demonstrated that LCZ696 behaves as a potent suppressor of calcium-mediated calcineurin-NFAT signaling transduction pathways. Hence, we demonstrated the protective effects of LCZ696 in overload-induced HFpEF and provided a pharmaceutical therapeutic strategy for related diseases.

Clinical predictors of hyponatremia in patients with heart failure according to severity of chronic kidney disease

BACKGROUND

Chronic kidney disease (CKD) has been associated with adverse clinical outcomes. Hyponatremia, a marker of illness severity and poor prognosis, is commonly exhibited in patients with CKD.

METHODS

This cross-sectional study included patients hospitalized due to heart failure (HF). We used stepwise logistic regression to investigate the independent association of cardiovascular drugs, markers of HF severity, and baseline clinical characteristics with hyponatremia in three subgroups; normal renal function, mild-to-moderate CKD, and severe CKD.

RESULTS

Of the 1232 patients, 38.6% were hyponatremic. Patients with severe CKD, compared to those with normal renal function and mild-to-moderate CKD, were more likely to be hyponatremic (47.1%, 34.4% and 36.6%, respectively; p ≤ 0.0001). Alcohol consumption, female sex, n-terminal pro-brain natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP), hydrochlorothiazide (HCT), and mineralocorticoid receptor antagonist (MRA) use, or angiotensin II receptor I blocker (ARB) non-use were associated with hyponatremia in patients with normal renal function (p ≤ 0.03 in all cases). Current smoking, diabetes mellitus, NT-proBNP, loop diuretic dose, and MRA use were predictors in mild-to-moderate CKD (p ≤ 0.04 in all cases). ARB use, loop diuretic dose, and HCT use were predictors in severe CKD (p ≤ 0.03 in all cases). Non-use of dihydropyridine calcium channel blocker (CCB) was an independent predictor of hyponatremia in all CKD stages (p ≤ 0.04 in all cases).

CONCLUSION

Apart from a firm favorable effect of CCBs, cardiovascular therapy should be carefully tailored to avoid hyponatremia in patients with cardiorenal syndrome.

Prospective assessing metabolic abnormalities, lifestyle and dietary pattern in a Chinese population with heart failure: the MALD-HF study protocol

INTRODUCTION

The evidence on predictive value of lifestyle behaviours and dietary pattern on the prognosis of heart failure (HF) is limited. Our aim is to identify these factors in the setting of secondary prevention of HF.

METHODS AND ANALYSIS

The Metabolic Abnormalities, Lifestyle and Dietary Pattern in Heart Failure study is an ongoing, prospective cohort, single-centre study that aims to recruit 1500 patients with HF from June 2016 to June 2021. At baseline, each participant completes a questionnaire on demographic characteristics, medical history, lifestyle behaviours, sleep duration and quality, bowel movements and regular diet. Biochemical measurements, blood pressure, carotid ultrasound, echocardiography, electrocardiography and cardiac magnetic resonance are obtained and analysed. Muscle strength is assessed using the handgrip dynamometer and the MicroFet2 hand-held dynamometer. Each patient is followed for 5 years or until the occurrence of death. The primary outcome is a composite of cardiovascular mortality or hospitalisation due to worsening heart failure. The secondary end points are cardiovascular deaths and the hospitalisations due to worsening HF. The incidence of mortality and cardiovascular events is documented biennially.

ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION

The study protocol has been approved by the Ethics Committee of the Ruijin Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, and follows the norms of the World's Association Declaration of Helsinki. The results of this study will be disseminated in peer-reviewed journals and academic conferences.

TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER

NCT03951311.

Incidence, Treatment and Clinical Impact of Iron Deficiency in Chronic Heart Failure: A Longitudinal Analysis

In patients with heart failure (HF), iron deficiency (ID) is a well-recognized therapeutic target; information about its incidence, patterns of iron repletion, and clinical impact is scarce. This single-centre longitudinal cohort study assessed the rates of ID testing and diagnosis in patients with stable HF, patterns of treatment with intravenous iron, and clinical impact of intravenous iron on HF rehospitalization risk. We included 711 consecutive outpatients (4400 visits) with stable chronic HF from 2014 to 2019 (median [interquartile range] visits per patient: 2 [2−7]. ID was defined as serum ferritin <100 µg/L, or 100−299 µg/L with transferrin saturation (TSAT) < 20%. During a median follow-up of 2.20 (1.11−3.78) years, ferritin and TSAT were measured at 2230 (50.7%) and 2183 visits (49.6%), respectively. ID was found at 846 (37.9%) visits, with ferritin and TSAT available (2230/4400), and intravenous iron was administered at 321/4400 (7.3%) visits; 233 (32.8%) patients received intravenous iron during follow-up. After multivariate analyses, iron repletion at any time during follow-up was associated with a lower risk of recurrent HF hospitalization (hazard ratio [HR] = 0.50, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 0.28−0.88; p = 0.016). Thus, ID was a frequent finding in patients with HF, and its repletion reduced the risk of recurrent HF hospitalizations.

Diagnostic role of echocardiography for patients with heart failure symptoms and preserved left ventricular ejection fraction

The syndrome heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF) represents patients with different comorbidities and specific etiologies, but with a key and common alteration: an elevation in left ventricular (LV) filling pressure or pulmonary capillary wedge pressure (PCWP). Expert consensuses, society guidelines, and diagnostic scores have been stated to diagnose HFpEF syndrome based mainly on the determination of elevated LV filling pressure or PCWP by transthoracic echocardiography (TTE). Echocardiographic parameters such as early (E) and late diastolic mitral inflow velocity (mitral E/A ratio), septal and lateral mitral annular early diastolic velocity (E'), ratio of the early diastolic mitral inflow and annular velocity (E/E'-ratio), maximal left atrial volume index (LAVI_max), and tricuspid regurgitation peak velocity (V_TR) constitute the pivotal parameters for determining elevated LV filling pressure or PCWP in patients with suspected HFpEF symptoms. Notwithstanding this, taking into consideration the heterogeneity of patients with HFpEF symptoms, the term "HFpEF" should be considered as a syndrome rather than an entity since HFpEF results from different pathological entities that should and can be characterized by echocardiography and multimodality imaging. Comprehensive TTE might help diagnose specific diseases and etiologies by characterization of specific cardiac phenotypes.

The Volume-Time Curve by Three-Dimensional Echocardiography in Chagas Cardiomyopathy: Insights into the Mechanism of Hemodynamic Adaptations

BACKGROUND

Three-dimensional echocardiography (3D ECHO) allows the generation of a volume-time curve representative of changes in the left ventricular (LV) volume throughout the entire cardiac cycle.

OBJECTIVE

This study aims to demonstrate the hemodynamic adaptations present in Chagas cardiomyopathy (CC) by means of the volume and flow measurements obtained by the volume-time curve by 3D ECHO.

METHODS

Twenty patients with CC and 15 healthy subjects were prospectively enrolled in a cross-sectional design study. 3D ECHO was performed in all subjects and the volume over time curves of the LV was generated. The flow was obtained by the first derivative of the volume-time curve using the software MATLAB. Statistical significance was set at p<0.05.

RESULTS

Although CC patients had lower LV ejection fraction compared to the control group (29.8±7.5 vs. 57.7±6.1, p<0.001), stroke volume (61.5±25.2 vs. 53.8±21.0, p=0.364) and maximum ejection flow during systole (-360.3±147.5 vs. -305.6±126.0, p=0.231) were similar between the groups. Likewise, the maximum flow in the early diastolic filling phase and during atrial contraction was similar between groups. An increase in preload expressed by LV end diastolic volume (204.8±79.4 vs. 93.0±32.6), p<0.001) may maintain the flow and stroke volumes similar to the controls.

CONCLUSION

Using a non-invasive tool, we demonstrated that an increase in LV end-diastolic volume may be the main adaptation mechanism that maintains the flow and stroke volumes in the setting of severe LV systolic dysfunction.

Part 1: Disease of the Heart and Liver: A Relationship That Cuts Both Ways

The heart and the liver display multifaceted, complex interactions that can be divided into cardiac effects of liver disease, hepatic effects of heart disease, and disease processes affecting both organs. In part 1 of this 2 part series, we discuss how acute and chronic heart failure can have devastating effects on the liver, such as acute cardiogenic liver injury and congestive hepatopathy. On the other hand, primary liver disease, such as cirrhosis, can lead to a plethora of cardiac insults representative in cirrhotic cardiomyopathy as systolic dysfunction, diastolic dysfunction, and electrophysiological disturbances. Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease has long been associated with cardiovascular events that increase mortality. The management of both disease processes changes when the other organ system becomes involved. This consideration is important with regard to a variety of interventions, most notably transplantation of either organ, as risk of complications dramatically rises in the setting of both heart and liver disease (discussed in part 2). As our understanding of the intricate communication between the heart and liver continues to expand so does our management.

SYMptoms in chronic heart failure imPACT on burden of treatment (SYMPACT): a cross-sectional survey

Aims

This study aimed to describe patient‐reported symptoms and burden of treatment (BoT) experienced by patients with chronic heart failure (CHF). BoT describes the illness workload, individual capacity to perform that work, and resultant impact on the individual. Overwhelming BoT is related to poor quality of life and worse clinical outcomes. This research is the first to explore symptoms and BoT in people with CHF, in the UK.

Methods and results

This is a cross‐sectional questionnaire survey of CHF patients. Participants completed the Heart Failure Symptom Survey (HFSS; max score 10) and the Minnesota Living with Heart Failure Questionnaire (MLHFQ; max scores: physical 40, emotional 25, and total 105), which measured symptoms. BoT was measured with the Patient Experience with Treatment and Self‐management (PETS; max score 100) questionnaires. Participant characteristics and questionnaire results were summarized using descriptive statistics. Relationships between symptoms and BoT, summarized by the workload and impact indices, were explored using Spearman's and Pearson's correlation coefficients together with scatter plots. The survey was completed by 333 participants, mean age of 71 (±13) years old. The majority (89%) were recruited from secondary care NHS trusts, and 25% were female. All types of heart failure were represented. Mean symptom scores were as follows: HFSS burden score: 2.4 (±2.1), and MLHFQ scores: physical score 20 (±12.4), emotional score 9.9 (±8.1), and total score 41.3 (±26.3). The highest mean PETS domain scores were exercise [51.3 (±24.7)], diet [40.3 (±22.7)], difficulty with healthcare services [39.9 (±21.3)], and physical and mental fatigue [36.0 (±25.7)]. Pairwise correlations were observed between HFSS scores and MLHFQ physical and emotional sub‐scores with PETS workload and impact indices. Positive correlations were weak to moderate (0.326–0.487) between workload index and symptoms, and moderate to strong between impact index and symptoms (0.553–0.725). The P value was 0.006, adjusted by Bonferroni's correction.

Conclusions

Symptoms are associated with BoT in CHF patients. Although symptom burden was low, CHF patients reported higher levels of burden around self‐care activities of exercise, diet, healthcare interaction, as well as physical and mental fatigue due to engagement with self‐care regimens. Observed higher levels of burden were in key self‐care areas for CHF and suggest areas where service delivery and support of CHF patients may be improved to reduce BoT. Clinicians could individualize their consultations by focusing on troublesome symptoms, as well as alleviating illness workload, which may better enable patients to live well with CHF.

Biomarker changes as surrogate endpoints in early-phase trials in heart failure with reduced ejection fraction

AIMS

No biomarker has achieved widespread acceptance as a surrogate endpoint for early-phase heart failure (HF) trials. We assessed whether changes over time in a panel of plasma biomarkers were associated with subsequent morbidity/mortality in HF with reduced ejection fraction (HFrEF).

METHODS AND RESULTS

In 1040 patients with HFrEF from the BIOSTAT-CHF cohort, we investigated the associations between changes in the plasma concentrations of 30 biomarkers, before (baseline) and after (9 months) attempted optimization of guideline-recommended therapy, on top of the BIOSTAT risk score and the subsequent risk of HF hospitalization/all-cause mortality using Cox regression models. C-statistics were calculated to assess discriminatory power of biomarker changes/month-nine assessment. Changes in N-terminal pro-B-type natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP) and WAP four-disulphide core domain protein HE4 (WAP-4C) were the only independent predictors of the outcome after adjusting for their baseline plasma concentration, 28 other biomarkers (both baseline and changes), and BIOSTAT risk score at baseline. When adjusting for month-nine rather than baseline biomarkers concentrations, only changes in NT-proBNP were independently associated with the outcome. The C-statistic of the model including the BIOSTAT risk score and NT-proBNP increased by 4% when changes were considered on top of baseline concentrations and by 1% when changes in NT-proBNP were considered on top of its month-nine concentrations and the BIOSTAT risk score.

CONCLUSIONS

Among 30 relevant biomarkers, a change over time was significantly and independently associated with HF hospitalization/all-cause death only for NT-proBNP. Changes over time were modestly more prognostic than baseline or end-values alone. Changes in biomarkers should be further explored as potential surrogate endpoints in early phase HF trials.

Impact of Myocardial Energy Expenditure and Diastolic Dysfunction on One Year Outcome Patients With HFpEF

Objective: To explore the correlation between characteristics of myocardial energy expenditure (MEE) and the degree of diastolic dysfunction in patients of heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF) and its clinical significance.

Methods: 125 consecutive patients diagnosed with HFpEF in the Department of Cardiology, Affiliated Zhongshan Hospital of Dalian University from January 2018 to October 2018 were enrolled. According to the degree of diastolic dysfunction, patients were divided into group A (8 ≤ E/e' ≤15) and group B (E/e'&gt; 15), and MEE was calculated, patients finished 1-year clinical follow-up.

Results: The level of MEE in group A was significantly lower than that in group B (p &lt; 0.05). During 1-year follow up, MEE over 3145.69 kcal/systole was associated with increased risk of death as compared to patients with MEE less 3145.69 kcal/systole, and in patients with MEE over 101.68 kcal/min than in patients with MEE less than 101.68 kcal/min.

Conclusion: There is a significant correlation between MEE and diastolic dysfunction and MEE over 3145.69 kcal/systole as well as MEE over 101.68 kcal/min are linked with increased risk of 1-year mortality in HFpEF.

Effects of ipragliflozin on left ventricular diastolic function in patients with type 2 diabetes and heart failure with preserved ejection fraction: The EXCEED randomized controlled multicenter study

AIM

We carried out a randomized controlled trial using ipragliflozin. We analyzed changes in diastolic function using echocardiography in patients with type 2 diabetes and heart failure with preserved ejection fraction.

METHODS

We carried out an open-label, multicenter, randomized, two-arm interventional trial. A total of eligible 68 participants were randomly assigned into two groups (ipragliflozin group n = 36; conventional treatment group n = 32). Primary end-points were the change in E/e' and e'. Secondary end-points were other parameters of echocardiography, plasma NT-proBNP level, New York Heart Association class, hemoglobin A1c and blood pressure.

RESULTS

After 24 weeks of follow up, E/e' decreased in both groups (ipragliflozin: 11.0 vs 10.4; conventional treatment 10.5 vs 10.1; multivariate-adjusted P = 0.95). There were no significant differences in the amount of change in E/e', e', echocardiography parameters, plasma NT-proBNP level, New York Heart Association class, hemoglobin A1c and blood pressure between the two groups. In the subgroup analysis, ipragliflozin treatment decreased in left ventricular mass index in patients aged ≥70 years and also decreased in NT-proBNP levels in patients with baseline NT-proBNP ≥400 pg/mL.

CONCLUSIONS

In this randomized controlled study carried out in patients with type 2 diabetes and heart failure with preserved ejection fraction, 24-week ipragliflozin treatment did not improve left ventricular diastolic function compared with conventional treatment. As the subgroup, ipragliflozin treatment decreased in left ventricular mass index in participants aged ≥70 years. Geriatr Gerontol Int 2022; 22: 298-304.

Does group-based high-intensity aerobic interval training improve the inflammatory status in patients with chronic heart failure?

BACKGROUND

Chronic heart failure (CHF) is a multifaceted syndrome associated with endothelial dysfunction and increased inflammation. Despite the existing controversies regarding the appropriate training modality, it is widely accepted that supervised cardiac rehabilitation (CR) interventions lead to proinflammatory biomarkers reduction and cellular adhesion molecules in patients with CHF.

AIM

The aim of the study was to quantify the effects of 12-week group-based high-intensity aerobic interval training (HIAIT)/modified group-based HIAIT intervention (m-Ullevaal) vs. moderate continuous training (MICT) on serum levels of proinflammatory biomarkers.

DESIGN

Single-blind, two-arm, prospective randomized controlled trial conducted on CHF outpatients performing group-based CR interventions throughout a 12-week period.

SETTING

The setting of the study was the Medical Center of Outpatient Rehabilitation and Sports Medicine, Plovdiv, Bulgaria.

POPULATION

The population included a total of 120 outpatients of both genders, mean age of 63.73±6.68 years, with stable CHF (NYHA classes II to IIIB, were randomly assigned to HIAIT/ m-Ullevaal (N.=60) or to MICT (N.=60) group.

METHODS

Functional exercise capacity (FEC) of the eligible subjects was evaluated through 6-minute walk test (6MWT) and peak oxygen uptake. Blood samples were drawn at baseline, after 12 weeks follow-up for analyses of C-reactive protein (CRP), tumor necrosis factor-α (TNFα) and cellular adhesion molecules (CAM).

RESULTS

Significant decreases in the serum levels of CRP (P=0.029), TNF-α (P=0.036), and vascular cell adhesion molecule-1 (VCAM-1) (P=0.040), were observed after 48 training sessions in the group-based HIAIT/m-Ullevaal intervention, except for intercellular adhesion molecule-1 (ICAM-1), which was higher in the MICT (P=0.034). FEC was significantly inversely related to CRP (r=-0.72, P<0.05), and the levels of VCAM-1 (r=-0.68, P<0.05).

CONCLUSIONS

Both group-based CR interventions (HIAIT/m-Ullevaal and MICT) significantly reduced the serum levels of CRP, TNF- α, ICAM-1 and VCAM in patients with CHF. However, selected proinflammatory biomarkers changes and CAMs favorably decreased in the group-based HIAIT/m-Ullevaal intervention. The responses on serum levels of proinflammatory biomarkers and CAMs are dependent upon the type, intensity, and CR intervention duration.

CLINICAL REHABILITATION IMPACT

The group-based high-intensity aerobic interval training reduces significantly the proinflammatory biomarkers and cellular adhesion molecules in patients with chronic heart failure.

The Canadian Heart Failure (CAN-HF) Registry: A Canadian multi-centre, retrospective study of inpatients with heart failure

Background

Despite recent advances in the management of patients with heart failure (HF), national data regarding the quality of care provided are lacking. The Canadian Heart Failure (CAN-HF) Registry was designed to obtain contemporary, real-world data describing the management of patients with HF.

Methods

Quality of care in patients admitted for acute HF (AHF), in relation to guidelines and national HF quality indicators, was assessed as part of the CAN-HF Registry study.

Results

A total of 943 patients admitted to the hospital with AHF were included in this analysis. Patient weight was not recorded on admission for 26% of patients, with daily weight being captured in only 61% of patients. Only 54% of inpatients received left ventricular ejection fraction assessment while hospitalized. Patient education was documented in 31% of patients prior to discharge, with 51% receiving instructions to follow up with a specialist upon discharge, and 2% being referred to a cardiac rehabilitation program. Although use of guideline-directed medical therapy increased during hospitalization, the proportions of patients receiving renin-angiotensin-aldosterone inhibition (63%), beta-blockade (80%), and mineralocorticoid receptor antagonist (40%) upon discharge indicate that potential room for improvement exists.

Conclusions

The CAN-HF Registry study demonstrated a potential quality-of-care gap in the management of patients admitted with AHF.

Improved hospitalization rates in a specialty center for heart failure with preserved ejection fraction and pulmonary hypertension

Heart failure with preserved ejection fraction can be complicated by pulmonary hypertension. We designed a retrospective study to provide supporting evidence for referral to specialty care centers. Specialty care centers improved hospitalizations but not mortality-in part due to more aggressive medication management and guideline-directed monitoring.

Early Detection of Iron Overload Cardiomyopathy in Transfusion Dependent Thalassemia Patients in Sulaimaniyah City, Iraq

Background

Lifelong blood transfusion is recommended for patients with transfusion-dependent thalassemia (TDT) that lead to iron overload and results in cardiomyopathy (CM).

Aim

To assess the accuracy of several electrocardiographic (ECG) data in patients at high risk of arrhythmia, early detection of structural and functional changes in left atrium and ventricle using ECG and echocardiography (two dimensional, M-mode echocardiography along with Doppler studies), and to observe the correlations between plasma B-type atrial natriuretic peptide (BNP)/serum ferritin and ECG with Doppler as well as echocardiographic changes in patients with TDT.

Methods

The current prospective case-control study included 75 TDT patients and 74 control subjects with the mean age of 9.55 and 9.93 years, respectively. Participants were assessed for the socio-demographic, physical examinations, serum ferritin, plasma BNP, ECG, 2D echocardiography, and tissue/pulse wave Doppler.

Results

The mean of serum ferritin and plasma BNP were significantly (p<0.001) higher in the cases (1475.19 ng/mL and 47.63 pg/mL, respectively) than controls (41.3 ng/mL and BNP 23.37 pg/mL, respectively). ECG findings showed significant higher P-wave dispersion, QRS duration, QT duration and dispersion, and JTc dispersion in cases than controls. Echocardiography findings revealed diastolic dysfunction with preserved ejection fraction (EF) in thalassemia cases, as well as significant higher left ventricular (LV) mass, LV internal diameters during systole and diastole (LVIDs and d) and LV posterior wall thickness during diastole (LVPWd) in cases than controls (p<0.05). Also, a significant (p<0.05) correlation between BNP and QT dispersion was found in patients.

Conclusion

These findings suggest the usefulness of ECG, 2D echocardiographic, Doppler studies and plasma BNP, with no significant beneficial effect of serum ferritin level in detecting early cardiac changes in patients with TDT.

NT-ProBNP and high-sensitivity troponin T as screening tests for subclinical chronic heart failure in a general population

Aims

The aim of this study was to establish age‐specific and sex‐specific cut‐off values for N‐terminal pro‐brain natriuretic peptide (NT‐proBNP) and high‐sensitivity troponin T (hs‐troponin T) in healthy subjects and assess cardiac biomarkers as screening tools for subclinical heart failure (HF) in a general population.

Methods and results

Altogether, 1936 participants were randomly selected from the general population Tromsø 7 study in Northern Norway. Diagnostic accuracy (sensitivity, specificity, and negative and positive predictive value) of cardiac markers for echocardiographically defined subclinical HF was evaluated. The receiver‐operating characteristic analysis showed that areas under the curve were relatively low (under 0.75) for both NT‐proBNP and hs‐troponin T, suggesting that the diagnostic accuracy of these biomarkers for subclinical HF was not excellent, especially for mild forms of HF and younger age group 40–49 years. Sex‐specific and age‐specific cut‐offs for hs‐troponin T (99th percentiles) and NT‐proBNP (97.5th percentiles) were established in healthy subjects from the same general population. The sex‐specific and age‐specific cut‐offs for NT‐proBNP had higher specificity for subclinical HF compared with the previously established single cut‐off 125 pg/mL. Age‐specific cut‐off for hs‐troponin T (18 ng/L) for men ≥60 years had also higher specificity than the single cut‐off 14 ng/L. These cut‐offs had high specificity, but low sensitivity, that makes hs‐troponin T and NT‐proBNP good biomarkers to rule in HF in case of a positive test, but not good enough to rule out all unrecognized HF due to false negative results.

Conclusions

N‐terminal pro‐brain natriuretic peptide and hs‐troponin T are suboptimal screening tools for subclinical HF in a general population due to low sensitivity.

Cardiac Glycosides Lower C-Reactive Protein Plasma Levels in Patients with Decompensated Heart Failure: Results from the Single-Center C-Reactive Protein-Digoxin Observational Study (C-DOS)

Recent randomized controlled multi-center trials JUPITER, CANTOS and COLCOT impressively demonstrated the effect of anti-inflammatory therapy on secondary prevention of cardiovascular events. These studies also rapidly re-vitalized the question of whether the C-reactive protein (CRP), the prototype human acute phase protein, is actively involved in atherosclerosis and its sequelae. Direct CRP inhibition may indeed improve the specificity and effectiveness of anti-inflammatory intervention. In the present paper, we report on the final results of our single-center C-reactive protein-Digoxin Observational Study (C-DOS). Methods and Results: Based on the experimental finding that cardiac glycosides potently inhibit hepatic CRP synthesis on the transcriptional level in vitro, 60 patients with decompensated heart failure, NYHA III−IV, severely reduced Left Ventricular Ejection Fraction (LVEF < 40%), and elevated CRP plasma levels were treated by either digoxin + conventional heart failure therapy (30 patients) or by conventional heart failure therapy alone (30 patients). Plasma CRP levels in both groups were assessed for 21 d. Plasma CRP levels on d1, d3 and d21 were compared by regression analysis. CRP levels d21−d1 significantly declined in both groups. Notably, comparative CRP reduction d21−d3 in digoxin versus the control group also revealed borderline significance (p = 0.051). Conclusions: This small observational trial provides the first piece of evidence that cardiac glycosides may inhibit CRP synthesis in humans. In case of further pharmacological developments, cardiac glycosides may emerge as lead compounds for chemical modification in order to improve the potency, selectivity and pharmacokinetics of CRP synthesis inhibition in cardiovascular disease.

Cardiac computed tomography-derived myocardial tissue characterization after anthracycline treatment

AIMS

Understanding cardiac function after anthracycline administration is very important from the perspective of preventing the onset of heart failure. Although cardiac magnetic resonance and echocardiography are recognized as the 'gold standard' for detecting cardiotoxicity, they have many shortcomings. We aimed to investigate whether cardiac computed tomography (CCT) could replace these techniques, assessing serial changes in cardiac tissue characteristics as determined by CCT after anthracycline administration.

METHODS AND RESULTS

We prospectively investigated 15 consecutive breast cancer patients who were scheduled to receive anthracycline therapy. We performed echocardiography and CCT before and 3, 6, and 12 months after anthracycline treatment. The mean cumulative administered anthracycline dose was 269.9 ± 14.6 mg/m² (doxorubicin-converted dose). Of the 15 enrolled patients who received anthracycline treatment for breast cancer, none met the definition of cardiotoxicity. The CCT-derived extracellular volume fraction tended to continue to increase after anthracycline treatment and had relatively similar dynamics to the left ventricular ejection fraction and global longitudinal strain as determined by echocardiography.

CONCLUSIONS

Our findings indicated that CCT could provide adequate information about the characteristics of myocardial tissue after anthracycline administration. CCT may improve the understanding of cardiotoxicity by compensating for the weaknesses of echocardiography. This technique could be useful for understanding cardiac tissue characterization as a 'one-stop shop' evaluation, providing new insight into cardiooncology.

Patient-level comparison of heart failure patients in clinical phenotype and prognosis from China and Sweden

BACKGROUND

Clinical phenotype and prognosis of heart failure (HF) may be variable among different racial populations. Therefore, a patient-level comparison of hospitalized HF patients in two university hospitals from China and Sweden was performed.

METHODS AND RESULTS

This study was a pooled data analysis of the patients prospectively enrolled in two single-center studies in China (n = 949) and Sweden (n = 1639) from 2011 to 2015. Clinical characteristics and 6-month all-cause mortality were collected. Higher systolic blood pressure (126.1 ± 20.3 vs. 114.2 ± 15.4 mmHg, p < 0.001) and NT-proBNP level (4540 vs. 3251 pg/mL, p = 0.013) were found in the Swedish cohort, also more patients with ischemic heart disease (32.0% vs. 19.2%), hypertension (64.2% vs. 36.8%), valvular heart disease (40.9% vs.31.6%) and atrial fibrillation (55.3% vs. 39.6%) (all p < 0.001). The use of ACEIs/ARBs (48.8% vs. 80.8%) or beta-blockers (58.8% vs. 86.5%) (both p < 0.001) was lower in Chinese cohort. Given younger age in Chinese cohort (61.6 vs. 76.4 years, p < 0.001), age-stratified analyses were conducted, as there were similar patient numbers in 50-74 years in Chinese (n = 550) and Swedish (n = 554) cohorts, therefore baseline characteristics and prognosis were further compared. The age- and sex-adjusted outcome (HR 0.80 [95% CI 0.55-1.19], p = 0.273) was comparable between the two populations. The NT-proBNP and eGFR independently predicted 6-month mortality in both Chinese (HR [95% CI] 1.006 [1.003-1.008], 0.986 [0.976-0.999]) and Swedish cohort (1.003 [1.000-1.007], 0.988 [0.976-0.999]).

CONCLUSIONS

Patient-level comparison of real-world HF populations from China and Sweden demonstrated different clinical phenotypes and therapy but similar prognosis and their predictors.

Recurrent births (multiparity) lead to permanent changes in cardiac structure

AIM

Although the effects of pregnancy on the cardiovascular system have been covered by many studies, permanent changes in the hearts of multiparous women have not been investigated. This study therefore aimed to examine the permanent structural changes in the cardiac structure of multiparous women via transthoracic echocardiography (TTE).

METHOD

This case-control study included 366 females who had given birth to 1-21 children, and 218 females with no previous deliveries. Anamnesis, physical examination, electrocardiography (ECG), TTE, and exercise stress tests were used to determine whether the cases had additional systemic pathologies. The structural cardiac parameters of all cases were recorded with TTE.

RESULTS

The study revealed that LV mass, LV mass index, left ventricular end diastolic volume (LVEDV), left ventricular end diastolic volume index (LVEDVI) were observed higher in women with five or more deliveries when compared to nulliparous women. On the other hand, ejection fraction (EF) was significantly lower in the same group. Receiver operating curve (ROC) analysis demonstrated that the prediction sensitivity for the presence of eccentric hypertrophy was 74% among women who had given >10.5 births, and its specificity was 97.8% (AUC: 0.949, 95% CI 0.905-0.993; p < 0.0001).

CONCLUSION

The results showed that women with recurrent births had increased left ventricular end diastolic volume, left ventricular total mass in myocardium and decreased EF due to increased end diastolic volume. The results also showed delivering at frequent intervals (especially the birth of 11 or more) may be one of the causes of eccentric hypertrophy, in women of the low-to-middle income countries.

AI Based CMR Assessment of Biventricular Function: Clinical Significance of Intervendor Variability and Measurement Errors

OBJECTIVES

The aim of this study was to determine whether left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) and right ventricular ejection fraction (RVEF) and left ventricular mass (LVM) measurements made using 3 fully automated deep learning (DL) algorithms are accurate and interchangeable and can be used to classify ventricular function and risk-stratify patients as accurately as an expert.

BACKGROUND

Artificial intelligence is increasingly used to assess cardiac function and LVM from cardiac magnetic resonance images.

METHODS

Two hundred patients were identified from a registry of individuals who underwent vasodilator stress cardiac magnetic resonance. LVEF, LVM, and RVEF were determined using 3 fully automated commercial DL algorithms and by a clinical expert (CLIN) using conventional methodology. Additionally, LVEF values were classified according to clinically important ranges: <35%, 35% to 50%, and ≥50%. Both ejection fraction values and classifications made by the DL ejection fraction approaches were compared against CLIN ejection fraction reference. Receiver-operating characteristic curve analysis was performed to evaluate the ability of CLIN and each of the DL classifications to predict major adverse cardiovascular events.

RESULTS

Excellent correlations were seen for each DL-LVEF compared with CLIN-LVEF (r = 0.83-0.93). Good correlations were present between DL-LVM and CLIN-LVM (r = 0.75-0.85). Modest correlations were observed between DL-RVEF and CLIN-RVEF (r = 0.59-0.68). A >10% error between CLIN and DL ejection fraction was present in 5% to 18% of cases for the left ventricle and 23% to 43% for the right ventricle. LVEF classification agreed with CLIN-LVEF classification in 86%, 80%, and 85% cases for the 3 DL-LVEF approaches. There were no differences among the 4 approaches in associations with major adverse cardiovascular events for LVEF, LVM, and RVEF.

CONCLUSIONS

This study revealed good agreement between automated and expert-derived LVEF and similarly strong associations with outcomes, compared with an expert. However, the ability of these automated measurements to accurately classify left ventricular function for treatment decision remains limited. DL-LVM showed good agreement with CLIN-LVM. DL-RVEF approaches need further refinements.

Exercise cardiac power and the risk of heart failure in men: A population-based follow-up study

BACKGROUND

Little is known about exercise cardiac power (ECP), defined as the ratio of directly measured maximal oxygen uptake with peak systolic blood pressure during exercise, on heart failure (HF) risk. We examined the association of ECP and the risk of HF.

METHODS

This was a population-based cohort study of 2351 men from eastern Finland. The average time to follow-up was 25 years. Participants participated at baseline in an exercise stress test. A total of 313 cases of HF occurred.

RESULTS

Men with low ECP (<9.84 mL/mmHg, the lowest quartile) had a 2.37-fold (95% confidence interval (95%CI): 1.68-3.35, p < 0.0001) hazards ratio of HF as compared with men with high ECP (>13.92 mL/mmHg, the highest quartile), after adjusting for age. Low ECP was associated with a 1.96-fold risk (95%CI: 1.38-2.78, p < 0.001) of HF after additional adjustment for conventional risk factors. After further adjustment for left ventricular hypertrophy, the results hardly changed (hazards ratio = 1.87, 95%CI: 1.31-2.66, p < 0.001). One SD increase in ECP (3.16 mL/mmHg) was associated with a decreased risk of HF by 28% (95%CI: 17%-37%).

CONCLUSION

ECP provides a noninvasive and easily available measure from cardiopulmonary exercise tests in predicting HF. However, ECP did not provide additional value over maximal oxygen uptake_.

Diagnostic Accuracy of High-Sensitive Troponin for the Identification of Myocardial Infarction in Patients Presenting with Acute Heart Failure

BACKGROUND

The differentiation of myocardial infarction (MI) in the setting of acute heart failure (AHF) can be challenging because the majority of patients presenting with AHF show elevations of high-sensitive troponin (hs-Tn). Fast identification of MI is crucial to perform timely coronary angiography and to improve clinical outcome.

OBJECTIVES

The aim of the present study was to assess the diagnostic accuracy of different levels of hs-Tn for the identification of type 1 MI in patients with AHF.

METHODS

This was a retrospective single-center analysis of admitted AHF patients with documentation of high-sensitive troponin T (hs-TnT).

RESULTS

A total of 649 patients were enrolled into the present study. Of them, 18% had type 1 MI, 7% had type 2 MI, 69% had myocardial injury, and 6% had no myocardial injury. The area under the curve of hs-TnT for the prediction of type 1 MI was 0.70. Sensitivity and specificity of the hs-TnT 99^th percentile upper reference limit (URL) for type 1 MI was 100% and 8%, respectively. The Youden index derived cut-off of hs-TnT was 50 ng/L, showing a sensitivity and specificity for type 1 MI of 63% and 68%, respectively. No significant difference regarding 30-day mortality was found depending on the presence of type 1 MI (odds ratio 1.86; 95% confidence interval 0.91-3.81).

CONCLUSIONS

Hs-TnT-based identification of type 1 MI in patients with AHF requires higher cut-offs compared with the 99^th percentile URL used in overall acute coronary syndrome populations. However, the adjusted cut-off provided only moderate sensitivity and specificity.

The Difference between Sacubitril Valsartan and Valsartan on Vascular Endothelial Function, APN, MMP-9, and BNP Levels in Patients with Hypertension and Chronic Heart Failure

Background

Sacubitril valsartan and valsartan are the first new drugs approved for angiotensin receptor neprilysin lysine inhibitors (ARNIs) in outpatients with chronic heart failure (CHF) and hypertension. Compared with enalapril, sacubitril valsartan and valsartan have been shown to reduce the mortality and morbidity of cardiovascular diseases. However, there is little actual evidence regarding the efficacy of ARNIs in hypertensive patients with CHF.

Methods

From January 2019 to January 2021, 60 patients with hypertension and chronic heart failure were diagnosed and treated in our hospital. The patients were randomly divided into an observation group and a control group, with 30 cases in each group. The control group was given valsartan, the observation group was given sacubitril valsartan, and both groups were treated for six months. The endothelium-dependent vasodilation (EDD) function of the brachial artery and serum nitric oxide (NO), endothelin-1 (ET-1), carotid artery intima-media thickness, and glomerular filtration, excess rate (eGFR), and left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) were compared between the two groups of patients before and after treatment. The serum adiponectin (APN), matrix metalloproteinase-9 (MMP-9), and brain natriuretic peptide (BNP) levels were compared before and after treatment.

Results

The total effective rate of treatment in the research group was higher than that in the control group (P < 0.05). After treatment, the cardiac function indexes LVESD and LVEDD of the two groups of patients were lower than before treatment, and LVEF was higher than before treatment, and the improvement rate of the treatment group was better than that of the control group (P < 0.05). After treatment, the serum APN of the two groups was higher than before treatment, the levels of MMP-9 and BNP were lower than before treatment, and the improvement rate of patients in the treatment group was better than that of patients in the control group (P < 0.05). There was no statistically significant in the levels of EDD, NO, and ET-1 of the two groups of patients before treatment (P < 0.05). After treatment, compared with the control group, the EDD function and NO level of the research group were significantly increased (P < 0.05), and the level of ET-1 was significantly reduced (P < 0.05). There was no statistically significant difference in carotid artery intima-media thickness, glomerular filtration rate, and left ventricular ejection fraction before and after treatment in the two groups (P < 0.05).

Conclusion

In the treatment of hypertension and chronic heart failure, sacubitril valsartan can improve the clinical symptoms of patients to the greatest extent and can significantly improve the levels of LVEF, LVEDD, NT-proBNP, heart function, and other indicators. Sacubitril valsartan can increase serum APN levels, reduce MMP-9 and BNP levels, and have good clinical effects. Sacubitril valsartan has a protective effect on the vascular endothelial function of patients with hypertension and CHF. However, these results need to be confirmed in studies involving more subjects and require longer follow-up times.

The Role of Systemic Microvascular Dysfunction in Heart Failure with Preserved Ejection Fraction

Heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF) is a condition with increasing incidence, leading to a health care problem of epidemic proportions for which no curative treatments exist. Consequently, an urge exists to better understand the pathophysiology of HFpEF. Accumulating evidence suggests a key pathophysiological role for coronary microvascular dysfunction (MVD), with an underlying mechanism of low-grade pro-inflammatory state caused by systemic comorbidities. The systemic entity of comorbidities and inflammation in HFpEF imply that patients develop HFpEF due to systemic mechanisms causing coronary MVD, or systemic MVD. The absence or presence of peripheral MVD in HFpEF would reflect HFpEF being predominantly a cardiac or a systemic disease. Here, we will review the current state of the art of cardiac and systemic microvascular dysfunction in HFpEF (Graphical Abstract), resulting in future perspectives on new diagnostic modalities and therapeutic strategies.

Acute Heart Failure in the 2021 ESC Heart Failure Guidelines: a scientific statement from the Association for Acute CardioVascular Care (ACVC) of the European Society of Cardiology

The current European Society of Cardiology (ESC) Heart Failure Guidelines are the most comprehensive ESC document covering heart failure to date; however, the section focused on acute heart failure remains relatively too concise. Although several topics are more extensively covered than in previous versions, including some specific therapies, monitoring and disposition in the hospital, and the management of cardiogenic shock, the lack of high-quality evidence in acute, emergency, and critical care scenarios, poses a challenge for providing evidence-based recommendations, in particular when by comparison the data for chronic heart failure is so extensive. The paucity of evidence and specific recommendations for the general approach and management of acute heart failure in the emergency department is particularly relevant, because this is the setting where most acute heart failure patients are initially diagnosed and stabilized. The clinical phenotypes proposed are comprehensive, clinically relevant and with minimal overlap, whilst providing additional opportunity for discussion around respiratory failure and hypoperfusion.

AV timing in pacemaker patients with first-degree AV block: which is preferable, intrinsic AV conduction or pacing?

Some patients with pacemakers present with first-degree atrioventricular (AV) block. To avoid right ventricular (RV) pacing, preserving intrinsic AV conduction as much as possible is recommended. However, there is no clear cutoff AV interval to determine whether intrinsic AV conduction should be preserved or RV pacing should be delivered. This study aimed to compare a pacing mode-preserving, intrinsic AV conduction with the DDD mode delivering RV pacing in terms of echocardiographic parameters in patients with first-degree AV block and to investigate whether RV pacing induces heart failure (HF). Stroke volume (SV) was measured to determine the optimal AV delay with the intrinsic AV conduction rhythm and the DDD pacing delivering RV pacing. Echocardiographic evaluation was performed for 6-month follow-up period. Seventeen patients were studied. At baseline, mean intrinsic PQ interval was 250 ± 40 ms. SV was greater with RV pacing with optimal AV delay of 160 ms than with intrinsic AV conduction rhythm in all patients. Therefore, pacemakers were set to the DDD to deliver RV pacing. During follow-up, seven patients developed HF. Mean baseline E/E′ ratio in patients who developed HF (HF group) during RV pacing was higher than in patients without HF (non = HF group; 17.9 ± 8 versus 11.5 ± 2, P = 0.018) Even within HF group patients without a high baseline E/E′ ratio, it increased with RV pacing (22.2 ± 6 versus 11.6 ± 2; P < 0.001). In patients with pacemaker and first-degree AV block, RV pacing with the optimal AV delay of 160 ms increased SV. However, the risk of HF may be increased with RV pacing if the E/Eʹ ratio is > 15 during intrinsic AV conduction or RV pacing. RV pacing should be avoided in patients with high E/Eʹ ratio under intrinsic AV conduction or RV pacing.

Improving diagnosis and risk stratification across the ejection fraction spectrum: the Maastricht Cardiomyopathy registry

AIMS

Heart failure (HF) represents a clinical syndrome resulting from different aetiologies and degrees of heart diseases. Among these, a key role is played by primary heart muscle disease (cardiomyopathies), which are the combination of multifactorial environmental insults in the presence or absence of a known genetic predisposition. The aim of the Maastricht Cardiomyopathy registry (mCMP-registry; NCT04976348) is to improve (early) diagnosis, risk stratification, and management of cardiomyopathy phenotypes beyond the limits of left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF).

METHODS AND RESULTS

The mCMP-registry is an investigator-initiated prospective registry including patient characteristics, diagnostic measurements performed as part of routine clinical care, treatment information, sequential biobanking, quality of life and economic impact assessment, and regular follow-up. All subjects aged ≥16 years referred to the cardiology department of the Maastricht University Medical Center (MUMC+) for HF-like symptoms or cardiac screening for cardiomyopathies are eligible for inclusion, irrespective of phenotype or underlying causes. Informed consented subjects will be followed up for 15 years. Two central approaches will be used to answer the research questions related to the aims of this registry: (i) a data-driven approach to predict clinical outcome and response to therapy and to identify clusters of patients who share underlying pathophysiological processes; and (ii) a hypothesis-driven approach in which clinical parameters are tested for their (incremental) diagnostic, prognostic, or therapeutic value. The study allows other centres to easily join this initiative, which will further boost research within this field.

CONCLUSIONS

The broad inclusion criteria, systematic routine clinical care data-collection, extensive study-related data-collection, sequential biobanking, and multi-disciplinary approach gives the mCMP-registry a unique opportunity to improve diagnosis, risk stratification, and management of HF and (early) cardiomyopathy phenotypes beyond the LVEF limits.

Effects of luseogliflozin on estimated plasma volume in patients with heart failure with preserved ejection fraction

AIMS

Sodium glucose co-transporter 2 inhibitors have diuretic effects in both patients with glycosuria and with natriuresis. We sought to assess the effect of luseogliflozin on estimated plasma volume (ePV) in patients with type 2 diabetes and heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF).

METHODS AND RESULTS

This study was a post-hoc analysis of the MUSCAT-HF trial (UMIN000018395), a multicentre, prospective, open-label, randomized controlled trial that assessed the effect of 12 weeks of luseogliflozin (2.5 mg, once daily, n = 83) as compared with voglibose (0.2 mg, three times daily, n = 82) on the reduction in brain natriuretic peptide (BNP) in patients with type 2 diabetes and HFpEF. The analysis compared the change in ePV calculated by the Straus formula from baseline to Weeks 4, 12, and 24, using a mixed-effects model for repeated measures. We also estimated the association between changes in ePV and changes in other clinical parameters, including BNP levels. Luseogliflozin significantly reduced ePV as compared to voglibose at Week 4 {adjusted mean group-difference -6.43% [95% confidence interval (CI): -9.11 to -3.74]}, at Week 12 [-8.73% (95%CI: -11.40 to -6.05)], and at Week 24 [-11.02% (95%CI: -13.71 to -8.33)]. The effect of luseogliflozin on these parameters was mostly consistent across various patient clinical characteristics. The change in ePV at Week 12 was significantly associated with log-transformed BNP (r = 0.197, P = 0.015) and left atrial volume index (r = 0.283, P = 0.019).

CONCLUSIONS

Luseogliflozin significantly reduced ePV in patients with type 2 diabetes and HFpEF, as compared with voglibose. The reduction of intravascular volume by luseogliflozin may provide clinical benefits to patients with type 2 diabetes and HFpEF.

Diabetes and treatment of chronic heart failure in a large real-world heart failure population

AIMS

Although diabetes mellitus (DM) is a common co-morbidity in chronic heart failure (HF) patients, European data on concurrent HF and DM treatment are lacking. Therefore, we have studied the HF treatment of patients with and without DM. Additionally, with the recent breakthrough of sodium-glucose cotransporter 2 (SGLT2) inhibitors in the field of HF, we studied the potential impact of this new drug in a large cohort of HF patients.

METHODS AND RESULTS

A total of 7488 patients with chronic HF with a left ventricular ejection fraction <50% from 34 Dutch outpatient HF clinics between 2013 and 2016 were analysed on diabetic status and background HF therapy. Average age of the total population was 72.8 years (±11.7 years), and 64% of the patients were male. Diabetes was present in 29% of the patients (N = 2174). Diabetics had a worse renal function (mean estimated glomerular filtration rate 56 vs. 61 mL/min/1.73 m2 , P < 0.001). Renin-angiotensin system inhibitors were less often prescribed in diabetics compared with non-diabetics (79% vs. 82%, P = 0.001), while no significant differences regarding other guideline-recommended HF drugs were found. Target doses of beta-blockers (23% vs. 16%, P < 0.001), renin-angiotensin system inhibitors (47% vs. 43%, P = 0.009), and mineralocorticoid receptor antagonists (57% vs. 51%, P = 0.005) were more often prescribed in diabetics than non-diabetics. Based on the latest trials on SGLT2 inhibitors, 31-64% of all HF patients would fulfil the eligibility or enrichment criteria (with vs. without N-terminal prohormone BNP criterion).

CONCLUSIONS

In this large real-world HF registry, a high prevalence of DM was observed and diabetics more often received guideline-recommended target doses. Based on current evidence, the majority of patients would fulfil the enrichment criteria of SGLT2 trials in HF and the impact of this new drug class will be large.

Myocarditis following mRNA Covid-19 vaccination: a pooled analysis

Background

Methods

Results

Conclusions

A Preclinical Rat Model of Heart Failure With Preserved Ejection Fraction With Multiple Comorbidities

Heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF) is a common complex clinical syndrome for which there are currently few evidence-based therapies. As patients with HFpEF very often present with comorbidities comprising the metabolic syndrome, we hypothesized, that metabolic syndrome could lead over time to the development of diastolic dysfunction and HFpEF. Obesity-prone rats were exposed to high-fat diet and compared to obesity-resistant rats fed with standard chow. Phenotyping of metabolic syndrome, associated with echocardiographic and cardiac hemodynamic measurements, was performed after 4 and 12 months. Blood and myocardial tissue sampling were performed for pathobiological evaluation. High-fat diet in obesity-prone rats elicited metabolic syndrome, characterized by increased body and abdominal fat weights, glucose intolerance and hyperlipidemia, as well as increased left ventricular (LV) systolic pressure (after 12 months). This was associated with LV diastolic dysfunction (assessed by increased LV end-diastolic pressure) and pulmonary hypertension (assessed by increased right ventricular systolic pressure). Echocardiography revealed significant concentric LV hypertrophy, while LV ejection fraction was preserved. LV remodeling was associated with cardiomyocyte hypertrophy, as well as myocardial and perivascular fibrosis. Circulating levels of soluble ST2 (the interleukin-1 receptor-like) markedly increased in rats with HFpEF, while plasma NT-proBNP levels decreased. RNA-sequencing analysis identified clusters of genes implicated in fatty acid metabolism and calcium-dependent contraction as upregulated pathways in the myocardium of rats with HFpEF. High-fat diet during 12 months in obesity-prone rats led to the development of a relevant preclinical model of HFpEF with multiple comorbidities, suitable for investigating novel therapeutic interventions.

Risk Factors and Outcome Variables of Cardiorenal Syndrome Type 1 in Acute Myocardial Infarction Patients

Purpose

This study’s goal was to explore risk factors affecting short-term prognosis of cardiorenal syndrome type 1 (CRS1) in acute myocardial infarction (AMI) patients.

Methods

In this retrospective analysis of CRS1 in AMI patients hospitalized from January 2011 to December 2014, the patients were classified into deceased or survivor groups. Clinical data, including demographics, laboratory results, and 28-day outcomes, were collected.

Results

The incidence rate of CRS1 in AMI patients was 15.2% (274 in 1801). Ultimately, 88 patients were enrolled and 25 (28.4%) were classified into the deceased group, while 63 were classified into the survivor group. There were statistically significant differences between the groups for hypertension, mechanical ventilation, KIDGO stage, NT-proBNP, Hb, ALB, PCI, decreased LVEF, 7th-day SCr value, and the highest SCr value recorded within 7 days (all P < 0.05). Multivariate logistic regression showed that the following factors were significantly related to whether a patient died: requiring mechanical ventilation, increased NT-proBNP levels and 7th-day SCr values, and decreased LVEFs. The APACHE II, SOFA, and SASP II scores on the 7th day were significantly higher in the deceased group (all P < 0.05). The accuracy of APACHE II, SOFA, and SASP II scores on the 7th day for predicting death were 84.1%, 78.4% and 79.5%, respectively. The AUC of 7th-day APACHE II, SOFA, and SASP II scores was 0.844, 0.803, and 0.827, respectively, with no statistically significant differences between the three scores (P > 0.05).

Conclusion

The mortality rate of CRS1 in AMI patients was 28.4% (25 in 88) within 28 days. Mechanical ventilation, increased NT-proBNP levels, the 7th-day SCr value, and decreased LVEF were related to death in AMI patients with CRS1. APACHE II, SOFA, and SAPS II scores on the 7th day were satisfactorily accurate in predicting death within 28 days.

Machine learning-based risk model using 123I-metaiodobenzylguanidine to differentially predict modes of cardiac death in heart failure

BACKGROUND

Cardiac sympathetic dysfunction is closely associated with cardiac mortality in patients with chronic heart failure (CHF). We analyzed the ability of machine learning incorporating 123I-metaiodobenzylguanidine (MIBG) to differentially predict risk of life-threatening arrhythmic events (ArE) and heart failure death (HFD).

METHODS AND RESULTS

A model was created based on patients with documented 2-year outcomes of CHF (n = 526; age, 66 ± 14 years). Classifiers were trained using 13 variables including age, gender, NYHA functional class, left ventricular ejection fraction and planar 123I-MIBG heart-to-mediastinum ratio (HMR). ArE comprised arrhythmic death and appropriate therapy with an implantable cardioverter defibrillator. The probability of ArE and HFD at 2 years was separately calculated based on appropriate classifiers. The probability of HFD significantly increased as HMR decreased when any variables were combined. However, the probability of arrhythmic events was maximal when HMR was intermediate (1.5-2.0 for patients with NYHA class III). Actual rates of ArE were 3% (10/379) and 18% (27/147) in patients at low- (≤ 11%) and high- (> 11%) risk of developing ArE (P < .0001), respectively, whereas those of HFD were 2% (6/328) and 49% (98/198) in patients at low-(≤ 15%) and high-(> 15%) risk of HFD (P < .0001).

CONCLUSION

A risk model based on machine learning using clinical variables and 123I-MIBG differentially predicted ArE and HFD as causes of cardiac death.

Cardiovascular and metabolic effects of a mandibular advancement device and continuous positive airway pressure in moderate obstructive sleep apnea: a randomized controlled trial

STUDY OBJECTIVES

It has been suggested that treatment for obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) reduces cardiovascular risk. So far, knowledge is limited about the difference in the reduction of this risk between mandibular advancement device (MAD) and continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) therapy. The aim of this study was to compare the cardiovascular effects of MAD versus CPAP therapy in patients with moderate OSA.

METHODS

Patients with an apnea-hypopnea index (AHI) of 15-30 events/h were randomized to either MAD or CPAP therapy. At baseline and after 12-months follow-up, 24-hour ambulant blood pressure measurements (ABPM) and laboratory measurements were performed. ABPM consisted of 24-hour, daytime and night-time systolic (SBP) and diastolic blood pressure (DBP), and heart rate (HR) measurements. Laboratory measurements consisted of serum lipid values, creatinine, high-sensitivity c-reactive protein, plasma glucose, hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c), proinflammatory cytokines, soluble receptor for advanced glycation end products (sRAGE), chemokines and adhesion molecules.

RESULTS

Of the 85 randomized patients with moderate OSA, data were available for 54 patients (n=24 MAD, n=30 CPAP) at 12-month follow-up and showed that AHI significantly decreased with either therapy. In the MAD group, sRAGE and HbA1c were significantly higher after 12 months follow-up compared to baseline. No significant changes were found between MAD and CPAP treatment for all outcomes.

CONCLUSIONS

Treatment of patients with moderate OSA with either MAD or CPAP therapy had no profound effects on major cardiovascular risk factors after 12-months.

CLINICAL TRIAL REGISTRATION

Registry: ClinicalTrials.gov; Title: MRA Therapy Versus CPAP Therapy in Moderate OSAS; Identifier: NCT01588275; URL: https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT01588275.

Coenzyme Q10 to manage chronic heart failure with a reduced ejection fraction: a systematic review and economic evaluation

BACKGROUND

Chronic heart failure is a debilitating condition that accounts for an annual NHS spend of £2.3B. Low levels of endogenous coenzyme Q10 may exacerbate chronic heart failure. Coenzyme Q10 supplements might improve symptoms and slow progression. As statins are thought to block the production of coenzyme Q10, supplementation might be particularly beneficial for patients taking statins.

OBJECTIVES

To assess the clinical effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of coenzyme Q10 in managing chronic heart failure with a reduced ejection fraction.

METHODS

A systematic review that included randomised trials comparing coenzyme Q10 plus standard care with standard care alone in chronic heart failure. Trials restricted to chronic heart failure with a preserved ejection fraction were excluded. Databases including MEDLINE, EMBASE and CENTRAL were searched up to March 2020. Risk of bias was assessed using the Cochrane Risk of Bias tool (version 5.2). A planned individual participant data meta-analysis was not possible and meta-analyses were mostly based on aggregate data from publications. Potential effect modification was examined using meta-regression. A Markov model used treatment effects from the meta-analysis and baseline mortality and hospitalisation from an observational UK cohort. Costs were evaluated from an NHS and Personal Social Services perspective and expressed in Great British pounds at a 2019/20 price base. Outcomes were expressed in quality-adjusted life-years. Both costs and outcomes were discounted at a 3.5% annual rate.

RESULTS

A total of 26 trials, comprising 2250 participants, were included in the systematic review. Many trials were reported poorly and were rated as having a high or unclear risk of bias in at least one domain. Meta-analysis suggested a possible benefit of coenzyme Q10 on all-cause mortality (seven trials, 1371 participants; relative risk 0.68, 95% confidence interval 0.45 to 1.03). The results for short-term functional outcomes were more modest or unclear. There was no indication of increased adverse events with coenzyme Q10. Meta-regression found no evidence of treatment interaction with statins. The base-case cost-effectiveness analysis produced incremental costs of £4878, incremental quality-adjusted life-years of 1.34 and an incremental cost-effectiveness ratio of £3650. Probabilistic sensitivity analyses showed that at thresholds of £20,000 and £30,000 per quality-adjusted life-year coenzyme Q10 had a high probability (95.2% and 95.8%, respectively) of being more cost-effective than standard care alone. Scenario analyses in which the population and other model assumptions were varied all found coenzyme Q10 to be cost-effective. The expected value of perfect information suggested that a new trial could be valuable.

LIMITATIONS

For most outcomes, data were available from few trials and different trials contributed to different outcomes. There were concerns about risk of bias and whether or not the results from included trials were applicable to a typical UK population. A lack of individual participant data meant that planned detailed analyses of effect modifiers were not possible.

CONCLUSIONS

Available evidence suggested that, if prescribed, coenzyme Q10 has the potential to be clinically effective and cost-effective for heart failure with a reduced ejection fraction. However, given important concerns about risk of bias, plausibility of effect sizes and applicability of the evidence base, establishing whether or not coenzyme Q10 is genuinely effective in a typical UK population is important, particularly as coenzyme Q10 has not been subject to the scrutiny of drug-licensing processes. Stronger evidence is needed before considering its prescription in the NHS.

FUTURE WORK

A new independent, well-designed clinical trial of coenzyme Q10 in a typical UK heart failure with a reduced ejection fraction population may be warranted.

STUDY REGISTRATION

This study is registered as PROSPERO CRD42018106189.

FUNDING

This project was funded by the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) Health Technology Assessment programme and will be published in full in Health Technology Assessment; Vol. 26, No. 4. See the NIHR Journals Library website for further project information.

Phenotypic and Functional Heterogeneity of Monocyte Subsets in Chronic Heart Failure Patients

Chronic heart failure (CHF) results when the heart cannot consistently supply the body's tissues with oxygen and required nutrients. CHF can be categorized as heart failure (HF) with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF) or HF with reduced ejection fraction (HFrEF). There are different causes and mechanisms underlying HF pathogenesis; however, inflammation can be regarded as one of the factors that promotes both HFrEF and HFpEF. Monocytes, a subgroup of leukocytes, are known to be cellular mediators in response to cardiovascular injury and are closely related to inflammatory reactions. These cells are a vital component of the immune system and are the source of macrophages, which participate in cardiac tissue repair after injury. However, these monocytes are not as homogenous as thought and can present different functions under different cardiovascular disease conditions. In addition, there is still an open question regarding whether the functions of monocytes and macrophages should be regarded as causes or consequences in CHF development. Therefore, the aim of this work was to summarize current studies on the functions of various monocyte subsets in CHF with a focus on the role of a certain monocyte subset in HFpEF and HFrEF patients, as well as the subsets' relationship to inflammatory markers.

Impact of tolvaptan on improvement of tricuspid regurgitation and right ventricular dimension in patients with right-sided heart failure

Managing right-sided chronic heart failure (CHF) due to tricuspid regurgitation (TR) remains a clinical challenge. Tolvaptan (TLV), a vasopressin V2 receptor inhibitor, is effective in controlling decompensated HF. However, its effects on right-sided CHF caused by TR are unclear. We sought to clarify the effects of TLV in CHF patients complicated with TR. The cohort consisted of 33 CHF patients with moderate or severe TR and permanent atrial fibrillation, who required hospitalization for HF. We observed 19 patients treated with TLV plus conventional therapies (TLV group) and 14 patients with conventional therapies alone (conventional group). Clinical characteristics, echocardiographic parameters, and laboratory data were investigated. Baseline characteristics were similar between groups. In the TLV group, the severity of TR at admission was 73.7% moderate and 26.3% severe. In the conventional group, these percentages were 85.7% and 14.3%, respectively. During the follow-up, the severity of TR improved in the TLV group (trivial-mild: 52.6%; moderate: 36.8%; severe: 10.5%) (p < 0.01). However, it did not improve in the conventional group (trivial-mild: 21.4%; moderate: 50.0%; severe: 28.6%) (p = 0.08). The diameter of the tricuspid annulus (p < 0.01), basal (p = 0.02), and mid right ventricle (p = 0.04) was reduced at follow-up in the TLV group. Nevertheless, these parameters did not change in the conventional group. Serum creatinine levels were maintained (p = 0.74) in the TLV group, but deteriorated in the conventional group (p = 0.03). TLV reduced right ventricular dimensions and improved TR without deterioration of renal function. Thus, TLV may be a new drug for the treatment of CHF patients with TR.

Frailty influences the vascular responsiveness of elderly individuals with chronic heart failure

INTRODUCTION

Frailty is highly prevalent in heart failure (HF) patients. HF is associated with oxidative stress and chronic inflammation, which impair oxygen use by skeletal muscles. Little is known about the influence of frailty on vascular responsiveness and tissue oxygenation.

OBJECTIVE

Analyze the influence of frailty on vascular responsiveness and muscle oxygenation in elderly individuals with and without HF.

METHODS

Individuals aged ≥60 years, with or without HF, were evaluated for frailty (phenotype). Near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) was used to assess muscle oxygenation at rest (oxygen saturation - StO₂ and deoxyhemoglobin) and during handgrip exercise (minimum StO₂ and maximum deoxyhemoglobin), and oxygenation variables.

STATISTICAL ANALYSIS

Results were grouped according to the frailty phenotype: non-frail, pre-frail, and frail. Shapiro-Wilk test was used to assess normality. Data were compared using a two-way analysis of variance (ANOVA). Bonferroni post hoc test was applied to determine the influence of frailty or HF on NIRS variables. SPSS software was used in the analyses; p < 0.05 was considered significant.

RESULTS

55 elderly participants (61.8% female; 70.4 ± 7.2 years old; 28 HF patients) participated in the study. 32.7% (n = 18) were classified as non-frail, 43.3% (n = 24) as pre-frail, and 23.6% (n = 13) as frail. The analysis of vascular responsiveness (n = 52) identified an influence (p < 0.05) of frailty on the reperfusion rate (slope 2 and ∆StO₂ of nadir-peak) and desaturation during occlusion (area under the curve of StO₂) in HF patients. There was no influence of frailty or HF on muscle oxygenation at rest and during exercise (n = 54; p > 0.05).

CONCLUSION

The coexistence of frailty and HF seems to impair vascular responsiveness, as frail elderly participants with HF presented lower reperfusion rates and higher desaturation levels during the arterial occlusion test. However, the presence of frailty or HF alone had no influence on muscle oxygenation at rest or during exercise.

Genetic Determinants of Serum Calcification Propensity and Cardiovascular Outcomes in the General Population

Background:

Serum calciprotein particle maturation time (T50), a measure of vascular calcification propensity, is associated with cardiovascular morbidity and mortality. We aimed to identify genetic loci associated with serum T50 and study their association with cardiovascular disease and mortality.

Methods:

We performed a genome-wide association study of serum T50 in 2,739 individuals of European descent participating in the Prevention of REnal and Vascular ENd-stage Disease (PREVEND) study, followed by a two-sample Mendelian randomization (MR) study to examine causal effects of T50 on cardiovascular outcomes. Finally, we examined associations between T50 loci and cardiovascular outcomes in 8,566 community-dwelling participants in the Rotterdam study.

Results:

We identified three independent genome-wide significant single nucleotide polymorphism (SNPs) in the AHSG gene encoding fetuin-A: rs4917 (p = 1.72 × 10−101), rs2077119 (p = 3.34 × 10−18), and rs9870756 (p = 3.10 × 10−8), together explaining 18.3% of variation in serum T50. MR did not demonstrate a causal effect of T50 on cardiovascular outcomes in the general population. Patient-level analyses revealed that the minor allele of rs9870756, which explained 9.1% of variation in T50, was associated with a primary composite endpoint of all-cause mortality or cardiovascular disease [odds ratio (95% CI) 1.14 (1.01–1.28)] and all-cause mortality alone [1.14 (1.00–1.31)]. The other variants were not associated with clinical outcomes. In patients with type 2 diabetes or chronic kidney disease, the association between rs9870756 and the primary composite endpoint was stronger [OR 1.40 (1.06–1.84), relative excess risk due to interaction 0.54 (0.01–1.08)].

Conclusions:

We identified three SNPs in the AHSG gene that explained 18.3% of variability in serum T50 levels. Only one SNP was associated with cardiovascular outcomes, particularly in individuals with type 2 diabetes or chronic kidney disease.

Routinely measured cardiac troponin I and N-terminal pro-B-type natriuretic peptide as predictors of mortality in haemodialysis patients

Aims

Cardiac troponin (cTn) and B‐type natriuretic peptide (BNP) are elevated in haemodialysis (HD) patients, and this elevation is associated with HD‐induced myocardial stunning/myocardial strain. However, studies using data from the international Dialysis Outcomes and Practice Patterns Study (DOPPS) have shown that these cardiac biomarkers are measured in <2% of HD patients in real‐world practice. This study aimed to examine whether routinely measured N‐terminal pro‐BNP (NT‐proBNP) and cTnI (contemporary assay) are more appropriate than clinical models for reclassifying the risk of HD patients who have the highest risk of death.

Methods and results

Pre‐dialysis levels of cTnI and NT‐proBNP at study enrolment were measured in 1152 HD patients (Japan DOPPS Phase 5). The patients were prospectively followed for 3 years. Cox regression was used to test the associations of cardiac biomarkers with all‐cause mortality, adjusting for potential confounders. Subgroup analyses were performed to assess potential effect modification of clinical characteristics, such as age, systolic blood pressure, HD vintage, diabetes mellitus, coronary artery disease, and a history of congestive heart failure. At baseline, 337 (29%) patients had elevated cTnI (99th percentile of a healthy population: >0.04 ng/mL) with a median (inter‐quartile range) level of 0.020 (0.005–0.041) ng/mL, and 1140 (99%) patients had elevated NT‐proBNP (cut‐off for heart failure: >125 pg/mL) with a median level of 3658 (1689–9356) pg/mL. There were 167 deaths during a median follow‐up of 2.8 (2.2–2.8) years. Higher levels of both cardiac biomarkers were incrementally associated with mortality after adjustment for potential confounders. Even after adjustment for alternative cardiac biomarkers, the overall P value for the association was <0.01 for both biomarkers. However, the prognostic significance of NT‐proBNP was moderately diminished when cTnI was added to the model. The hazard ratios of mortality for cTnI > 0.04 ng/mL (vs. cTnI < 0.006 ng/mL) and NT‐proBNP > 8000 pg/mL (vs. NT‐proBNP < 2000 pg/mL) were 2.56 (95% confidence interval: 1.37–4.81) and 1.90 (95% confidence interval: 0.95–3.79), respectively. Subgroup analyses showed that the associations of both cardiac biomarkers with mortality were generally consistent between stratified groups.

Conclusions

Routinely measured NT‐proBNP and cTnI levels are strongly associated with mortality among prevalent HD patients. These associations remain robust, even after adjustment for alternative biomarkers, suggesting that cTnI and NT‐proBNP have identical prognostic significance and may reflect different pathological aspects of cardiac abnormalities.

Prescription, Compliance, and Burden Associated with Salt-Restricted Diets in Heart Failure Patients: Results from the French National OFICSel Observatory

(1) Background: There is much debate about the use of salt-restricted diet for managing heart failure (HF). Dietary guidelines are inconsistent and lack evidence. (2) Method: The OFICSel observatory collected data about adults hospitalised for HF. The data, collected using study-specific surveys, were used to describe HF management, including diets, from the cardiologists’ and patients’ perspectives. Cardiologists provided the patients’ clinical, biological, echocardiography, and treatment data, while the patients provided dietary, medical history, sociodemographic, morphometric, quality of life, and burden data (burden scale in restricted diets (BIRD) questionnaire). The differences between the diet recommended by the cardiologist, understood by the patient, and the estimated salt intake (by the patient) and diet burden were assessed. (3) Results: Between March and June 2017, 300 cardiologists enrolled 2822 patients. Most patients (90%) were recommended diets with <6 g of salt/day. Mean daily salt consumption was 4.7 g (standard deviation (SD): 2.4). Only 33% of patients complied with their recommended diet, 34% over-complied, and 19% under-complied (14% unknown). Dietary restrictions in HF patients were associated with increased burden (mean BIRD score of 8.1/48 [SD: 8.8]). (4) Conclusion: Healthcare professionals do not always follow dietary recommendations, and their patients do not always understand and comply with diets recommended. Restrictive diets in HF patients are associated with increased burden. An evidence-based approach to developing and recommending HF-specific diets is required.

A Combination of Chest Radiography and Estimated Plasma Volume May Predict In-Hospital Mortality in Acute Heart Failure

Background: Patients with heart failure (HF) often display dyspnea associated with pulmonary congestion, along with intravascular congestion, both may result in urgent hospitalization and subsequent death. A combination of radiographic pulmonary congestion and plasma volume might screen patients with a high risk of in-hospital mortality in the emergency department (ED).

Methods: In the pathway of dyspneic patients in emergency (PARADISE) cohort, patients admitted for acute HF were stratified into 4 groups based on high or low congestion score index (CSI, ranging from 0 to 3, high value indicating severe congestion) and estimated plasma volume status (ePVS) calculated from hemoglobin/hematocrit.

Results: In a total of 252 patients (mean age, 81.9 years; male, 46.8%), CSI and ePVS were not correlated (Spearman rho <0 .10, p > 0.10). High CSI/high ePVS was associated with poorer renal function, but clinical congestion markers (i.e., natriuretic peptide) were comparable across CSI/ePVS categories. High CSI/high ePVS was associated with a four-fold higher risk of in-hospital mortality (adjusted-OR, 95%CI = 4.20, 1.10-19.67) compared with low CSI/low ePVS, whereas neither high CSI nor ePVS alone was associated with poor prognosis (all-p-value > 0.10; P_interaction = 0.03). High CSI/high ePVS improved a routine risk model (i.e., natriuretic peptide and lactate)(NRI = 46.9%, p = 0.02), resulting in high prediction of risk of in-hospital mortality (AUC = 0.85, 0.82-0.89).

Conclusion: In patients hospitalized for acute HF with relatively old age and comorbidity burdens, a combination of CSI and ePVS was associated with a risk of in-hospital death, and improved prognostic performance on top of a conventional risk model.

Skeletal muscle derived Musclin protects the heart during pathological overload

Cachexia is associated with poor prognosis in chronic heart failure patients, but the underlying mechanisms of cachexia triggered disease progression remain poorly understood. Here, we investigate whether the dysregulation of myokine expression from wasting skeletal muscle exaggerates heart failure. RNA sequencing from wasting skeletal muscles of mice with heart failure reveals a reduced expression of Ostn, which encodes the secreted myokine Musclin, previously implicated in the enhancement of natriuretic peptide signaling. By generating skeletal muscle specific Ostn knock-out and overexpressing mice, we demonstrate that reduced skeletal muscle Musclin levels exaggerate, while its overexpression in muscle attenuates cardiac dysfunction and myocardial fibrosis during pressure overload. Mechanistically, Musclin enhances the abundance of C-type natriuretic peptide (CNP), thereby promoting cardiomyocyte contractility through protein kinase A and inhibiting fibroblast activation through protein kinase G signaling. Because we also find reduced OSTN expression in skeletal muscle of heart failure patients, augmentation of Musclin might serve as therapeutic strategy.

Relative fat mass, a new index of adiposity, is strongly associated with incident heart failure: data from PREVEND

Body-mass index (BMI), waist circumference, and waist-hip ratio are commonly used anthropometric indices of adiposity. However, over the past 10 years, several new anthropometric indices were developed, that more accurately correlated with body fat distribution and total fat mass. They include relative fat mass (RFM), body-roundness index (BRI), weight-adjusted-waist index and body-shape index (BSI). In the current study, we included 8295 adults from the PREVEND (Prevention of Renal and Vascular End-Stage Disease) observational cohort (the Netherlands), and sought to examine associations of novel as well as established adiposity indices with incident heart failure (HF). The mean age of study population was 50 ± 13 years, and approximately 50% (n = 4134) were women. Over a 11 year period, 363 HF events occurred, resulting in an overall incidence rate of 3.88 per 1000 person-years. We found that all indices of adiposity (except BSI) were significantly associated with incident HF in the total population (P < 0.001); these associations were not modified by sex (P interaction > 0.1). Amongst adiposity indices, the strongest association was observed with RFM [hazard ratio (HR) 1.67 per 1 SD increase; 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.37–2.04]. This trend persisted across multiple age groups and BMI categories, and across HF subtypes [HR: 1.76, 95% CI 1.26–2.45 for HF with preserved ejection fraction; HR 1.61, 95% CI 1.25–2.06 for HF with reduced ejection fraction]. We also found that all adiposity indices (except BSI) improved the fit of a clinical HF model; improvements were, however, most evident after adding RFM and BRI (reduction in Akaike information criteria: 24.4 and 26.5 respectively). In conclusion, we report that amongst multiple anthropometric indicators of adiposity, RFM displayed the strongest association with HF risk in Dutch community dwellers. Future studies should examine the value of including RFM in HF risk prediction models.

Phenotyping of acute decompensated heart failure with preserved ejection fraction

OBJECTIVE

The pathophysiological heterogeneity of heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF) makes the conventional 'one-size-fits-all' treatment approach difficult. We aimed to develop a stratification methodology to identify distinct subphenotypes of acute HFpEF using the latent class analysis.

METHODS

We established a prospective, multicentre registry of acute decompensated HFpEF. Primary candidates for latent class analysis were patient data on hospital admission (160 features). The patient subset was categorised based on enrolment period into a derivation cohort (2016-2018; n=623) and a validation cohort (2019-2020; n=472). After excluding features with significant missingness and high degree of correlation, 83 features were finally included in the analysis.

RESULTS

The analysis subclassified patients (derivation cohort) into 4 groups: group 1 (n=215, 34.5%), characterised by arrythmia triggering (especially atrial fibrillation) and a lower comorbidity burden; group 2 (n=77, 12.4%), with substantially elevated blood pressure and worse classical HFpEF echocardiographic features; group 3 (n=149, 23.9%), with the highest level of GGT and total bilirubin and frequent previous hospitalisation for HF and group 4 (n=182, 29.2%), with infection-triggered HF hospitalisation, high C reactive protein and worse nutritional status. The primary end point-a composite of all-cause death and HF readmission-significantly differed between the groups (log-rank p<0.001). These findings were consistent in the validation cohort.

CONCLUSIONS

This study indicated the feasibility of clinical application of the latent class analysis in a highly heterogeneous cohort of patients with acute HFpEF. Patients can be divided into 4 phenotypes with distinct patient characteristics and clinical outcomes.

TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER

UMIN000021831.