Leg strength and incidence of heart failure in patients with acute coronary syndrome

AIMS

The risk of developing heart failure (HF) after acute coronary syndrome (ACS) remains high. It is unclear whether skeletal muscle strength, in addition to existing risk factors, is a predictor for developing HF after ACS. We aimed to clarify the relationship between quadriceps isometric strength (QIS), a skeletal muscle strength indicator, and the risk of developing HF in patients with ACS.

METHODS AND RESULTS

We included 1053 patients with ACS without a prior HF or complications of HF during hospitalization. The median (interquartile range) age was 67 (57-74) years. The patients were classified into two groups-high and low QIS-using the sex-specific median QIS. The endpoint was HF admissions. During a mean follow-up period of 4.4 ± 3.7 years, 75 (7.1%) HF admissions were observed. After multivariate adjustment, a high QIS was associated with a lower risk of HF [hazard ratio: 0.52, 95% confidence interval (CI): 0.32-0.87]. Hazard ratio (95% CI) per 5% body weight increment increase of QIS for HF incidents was 0.87 (0.80-0.95). Even when competing risks of death were taken into account, the results did not change. The inclusion of QIS was associated with increases in net reclassification improvement (0.26; 95% CI: 0.002-0.52) and an integrated discrimination index (0.01; 95% CI: 0.004-0.02) for HF.

CONCLUSION

The present study showed that a higher level of QIS was strongly associated with a lower risk of developing HF after ACS. These findings suggest that skeletal muscle strength could be one of the factors contributing to the risk of developing HF after ACS.

Cancer history and physical function in patients with cardiovascular disease

Both cancer and cardiovascular disease (CVD) cause skeletal muscle mass loss, thereby increasing the likelihood of a poor prognosis. We investigated the association between cancer history and physical function and their combined association with prognosis in patients with CVD. We retrospectively reviewed 3,796 patients with CVD (median age: 70 years; interquartile range [IQR]: 61-77 years) who had undergone physical function tests (gait speed and 6-minute walk distance [6MWD]) at discharge. We performed multiple linear regression analyses to assess potential associations between cancer history and physical function. Moreover, Kaplan-Meier curves and Cox regression analyses were used to evaluate prognostic associations in four groups of patients categorized by the absence or presence of cancer history and of high or low physical function. Multiple regression analyses showed that cancer history was significantly and independently associated with a lower gait speed and 6MWD performance. A total of 610 deaths occurred during the follow-up period (median: 3.1 years; IQR: 1.4-5.4 years). The coexistence of low physical function and cancer history in patients with CVD was associated with a significantly higher mortality risk, even after adjusting for covariates (cancer history/low gait speed, hazard ratio [HR]: 1.93, P < 0.001; and cancer history/low 6MWD, HR: 1.61, P = 0.002). Cancer history is associated with low physical function in patients with CVD, and the combination of both factors is associated with a poor prognosis.

Beat-to-beat alterations of acoustic intensity and frequency at the maximum power of heart sounds are associated with NT-proBNP levels

Background

Auscultatory features of heart sounds (HS) in patients with heart failure (HF) have been studied intensively. Recent developments in digital and electrical devices for auscultation provided easy listening chances to recognize peculiar sounds related to diastolic HS such as S3 or S4. This study aimed to quantitatively assess HS by acoustic measures of intensity (dB) and audio frequency (Hz).

Methods

Forty consecutive patients aged between 46 and 87 years (mean age, 74 years) with chronic cardiovascular disease (CVD) were enrolled in the present study after providing written informed consent during their visits to the Kitasato University Outpatient Clinic. HS were recorded at the fourth intercostal space along the left sternal border using a highly sensitive digital device. Two consecutive heartbeats were quantified on sound intensity (dB) and audio frequency (Hz) at the peak power of each spectrogram of S1-S4 using audio editing and recording application software. The participants were classified into three groups, namely, the absence of HF (n = 27), HF (n = 8), and high-risk HF (n = 5), based on the levels of NT-proBNP < 300, ≥300, and ≥900 pg/ml, respectively, and also the levels of ejection fraction (EF), such as preserved EF (n = 22), mildly reduced EF (n = 12), and reduced EF (n = 6).

Results

The intensities of four components of HS (S1-S4) decreased linearly (p < 0.02-0.001) with levels of body mass index (BMI) (range, 16.2-33.0 kg/m2). Differences in S1 intensity (ΔS1) and its frequency (ΔfS1) between two consecutive beats were non-audible level and were larger in patients with HF than those in patients without HF (ΔS1, r = 0.356, p = 0.024; ΔfS1, r = 0.356, p = 0.024). The cutoff values of ΔS1 and ΔfS1 for discriminating the presence of high-risk HF were 4.0 dB and 5.0 Hz, respectively.

Conclusions

Despite significant attenuations of all four components of HS by BMI, beat-to-beat alterations of both intensity and frequency of S1 were associated with the severity of HF. Acoustic quantification of HS enabled analyses of sounds below the audible level, suggesting that sound analysis might provide an early sign of HF.

The Association between the Level of Ankle-Brachial Index and the Risk of Poor Physical Function in Patients with Cardiovascular Disease

AIMS

The progression of atherosclerosis and decline in physical function are poor prognostic factors in patients with cardiovascular disease (CVD). The ankle-brachial index (ABI) is a widely used indicator of the degree of progression of atherosclerosis, which may be used to identify patients with CVD who are at risk of poor physical function. This study examined the association between ABI and poor physical function in patients with CVD.

METHODS

We reviewed the data of patients with CVD who completed the ABI assessment and physical function tests (6-min walking distance, gait speed, quadriceps isometric strength, and short physical performance battery). Patients were divided into five categories according to the level of ABI, and the association between ABI and poor physical function was examined using multiple logistic regression analysis. Additionally, restricted cubic splines were used to examine the nonlinear association between ABI and physical function.

RESULTS

A total of 2982 patients (median [interquartile range] age: 71[62-78] years, 65.8% males) were included in this study. Using an ABI range of 1.11-1.20 as a reference, logistic regression analysis showed that ABI ≤ 1.10 was associated with poor physical function. The restricted cubic spline analysis showed that all physical functions increased with an increase in ABI level. The increase in physical function plateaued at an ABI level of approximately 1.1.

CONCLUSIONS

ABI may be used to identify patients with poor physical function. ABI levels below 1.1 are potentially associated with poor physical function in patients with CVD.

Clinical Impact of Improvement in Sarcopenia through Cardiac Rehabilitation in Patients with Heart Failure

OBJECTIVES

Sarcopenia in patients with heart failure (HF) is associated with poor prognosis. Cardiac rehabilitation (CR) decreases the incidence of adverse events in patients with HF. However, the clinical implications of improving sarcopenia status through CR remain unclear. This study investigated the relationship between the changes in sarcopenia status in patients with HF undergoing outpatient CR and the risk of mortality and adverse events.

DESIGN

This was a retrospective cohort study of patients hospitalized at the Kitasato University Hospital Cardiovascular Center for the treatment of HF between January 2007 and December 2020.

SETTING AND PARTICIPANTS

Patients with HF whose sarcopenia status was assessed at hospital discharge and following at least 3 months of outpatient CR were included. Based on the sarcopenia status, all patients were divided into 3 groups: patients without sarcopenia at discharge (ie, robust), patients with sarcopenia at discharge but no sarcopenia following CR (ie, improved), and patients with sarcopenia at discharge and following CR (ie, unimproved).

METHODS

Cox regression analysis was used to examine the risk of all-cause death associated with the 3 sarcopenia status groups.

RESULTS

Of 546 patients with HF (median age: 70 years; male: 63.6%), 377 (69.0%), 54 (9.9%), and 115 (21.1%) were classified as robust, improved, and unimproved, respectively. Multivariate Cox regression analysis showed that the unimproved group had a significantly greater risk of all-cause death when compared to the robust group [hazard ratio (HR) 2.603, 95% CI 1.375-4.930, P = .004], but it did not differ from the improved group (HR 1.403, 95% CI 0.598-3.293, P = .43).

CONCLUSIONS AND IMPLICATIONS

No improvement in sarcopenia status in patients with HF undergoing outpatient CR was associated with a higher risk of all-cause death. Sarcopenia may be an important target to improve the prognosis of patients with HF.

Prevention of Natural Disaster-Induced Cardiovascular Diseases

Natural disasters, such as floods and landslides caused by heavy rainfall, earthquakes, and tsunamis, can induce stress, which may contribute to the onset and aggravation of various cardiovascular diseases. The circulatory system is most susceptible to the effects of stress, and stress-related cardiovascular diseases, such as Takotsubo cardiomyopathy, pulmonary thromboembolism, hypertension, stroke triggered by increased blood pressure, and acute myocardial infarction, can occur during natural disasters. The risk of developing angina pectoris, arrhythmia, sudden cardiac death, and heart failure increases rapidly and can persist for several months. Moreover, treating cardiovascular diseases is essential during the acute phase, and continuous disease management is necessary during the chronic phase. However, disaster medical care for the victims must be given priority during natural disasters, which may cause a delay in diagnosis or access to necessary treatment for pre-existing medical conditions that could worsen or may cause death in patients with cardiovascular diseases. In this review, we summarize the predisposing factors for cardiovascular diseases that have been obtained through disasters such as major earthquakes and provide potential insights to help medical staff prevent the onset and aggravation of cardiovascular diseases during disasters.

Screening for sarcopenia with SARC-F in older patients hospitalized with cardiovascular disease

OBJECTIVES

SARC-F ≥ 4 points are used for detecting sarcopenia; however, finding a lower SARC-F cut-off value may lead to early detection of sarcopenia. We investigated the SARC-F score with the highest sensitivity and specificity value to identify sarcopenia in older patients with cardiovascular disease (CVD). Motor performances were also examined for each SARC-F score.

METHODS

This retrospective cross-sectional study examined the sensitivity and specificity of every 1-point increase in SARC-F score to predict sarcopenia. Eligible participants included patients with CVD (≥ 65 years old) who were admitted for acute CVD treatment and participated in cardiac rehabilitation. Patients completed the SARC-F questionnaire and the sarcopenia assessment. Areas under the curves (AUCs) were investigated for the ability to predict sarcopenia. Multivariable linear regression was used to compare the mean value of physical functions (e.g., Walking speed, leg strength, and 6-minute walking distance) of each SARC-F score.

RESULTS

A total of 1066 participants (63.8% male; median age: 78 years) were included. Sarcopenia was present in 401 patients. SARC-F cut-off ≥ 2 presented the optimal balance between sensitivity (68.3%) and specificity (55.6%) to detect sarcopenia (the AUCs = 0.658; 95% confidence interval: 0.625-0.691). Even when the patients have low scores (1-3), increasing every 1 point of SARC-F score was associated with lower physical functions, such as lower muscle strength and shorter walking distance (all p < 0.001).

CONCLUSIONS

SARC-F cut-off ≥ 2 was optimal for screening sarcopenia, and even a low SARC-F score is helpful in finding earlier sarcopenia and low physical function in patients with CVD.

Trajectory of Abdominal Skeletal Muscle Changes During Cardiac Rehabilitation in Patients With Aortic Disease

OBJECTIVE

This study focused on routine computed tomography imaging for aortic disease management and evaluated the trajectory of skeletal muscle changes through inpatient and outpatient cardiac rehabilitation.

DESIGN

Prospective observational study included patients who underwent abdominal computed tomography three times (baseline, postacute care, and follow-up). The area and density of the all-abdominal and erector spine muscles and intramuscular adipose tissue were measured. A generalized linear model with patients as random effects was used to investigate skeletal muscle changes.

RESULTS

Thirty-nine patients completed outpatient cardiac rehabilitation, and 60 were incomplete. Skeletal muscle area significantly decreased from baseline to the follow-up period only in the incomplete rehabilitation group. Skeletal muscle density significantly decreased from baseline to postacute care and increased at the follow-up period, but only patients who completed rehabilitation showed recovery up to baseline at the follow-up period. These trajectories were more pronounced in the erector spine muscle. Intramuscular adipose tissue showed a trend of gradual increase, but only the incomplete rehabilitation group showed a significant difference from baseline to the follow-up period.

CONCLUSIONS

The density of skeletal muscle may reflect the most common clinical course; skeletal muscle area and intramuscular adipose tissue are unlikely to improve positively, and their maintenance seemed optimal.

Association of sarcopenia defined by different skeletal muscle mass measurements with prognosis and quality of life in older patients with heart failure

BACKGROUND

Diagnosing sarcopenia in heart failure (HF) patients is important, but how to assess skeletal muscle mass in HF patients with fluid retention is controversial. We aimed to examine the association between sarcopenia, defined by different skeletal muscle mass measurements, and clinical outcomes in older HF patients.

METHODS

We included 546 older HF patients (≥ 65 years) who were assessed for sarcopenia at discharge (median age 77 years, 309 males). Sarcopenia was diagnosed using grip strength, usual gait speed, and skeletal muscle mass according to international criteria. We used mid-upper arm circumference (MUAC), mid-upper arm muscle circumference (MAMC), calf circumference (CC), and skeletal muscle mass index (SMI) assessed by bioelectrical impedance analysis to assess skeletal muscle mass and defined sarcopenia in each of these measurements. Prognostic outcomes were composite events (all-cause death and HF rehospitalization) and cardiovascular disease (CVD) events (CVD death and CVD rehospitalization). Quality of life (QOL) was assessed using the 36-item Short-Form Health Survey physical functioning (SF-36PF) score.

RESULTS

The sarcopenia defined by MUAC [hazard ratio (HR): 2.50; 95 % confidence interval (95 % CI): 1.64-3.81; p < 0.001] or MAMC (HR: 1.98; 95 % CI: 1.35-2.92; p = 0.001) were associated with higher composite event rates than the non-sarcopenia. The sarcopenia defined by MUAC (HR: 1.88; 95 % CI: 1.25-2.83; p = 0.002) or MAMC (HR: 1.70; 95 % CI: 1.16-2.49; p = 0.007) were associated with higher CVD event rates than the non-sarcopenia. The sarcopenia defined by CC or SMI were not associated with prognoses. The sarcopenia defined by MUAC, MAMC, or CC were associated with low SF-36PF scores (all p < 0.05).

CONCLUSIONS

These results suggest that a diagnosis of sarcopenia based on MUAC or MAMC rather than CC or SMI reflects prognosis and QOL in older HF patients.

Prognostic Utility of Skeletal Muscle Mass Metrics in Patients With Heart Failure

BACKGROUND

Sarcopenia is associated with risks of various adverse outcomes, and the assessment of skeletal muscle mass is necessary for its diagnosis. However, heart failure (HF) is a syndrome characterised by fluid retention, which affects muscle mass measurements. Different measurement methods have been reported to have different prognostic implications. We investigated the association between skeletal muscle mass metrics measured with the use of bioelectrical impedance analysis (BIA) and anthropometric measures and prognosis in patients with HF.

METHODS

The findings of 869 consecutive patients with HF were reviewed. We investigated the skeletal muscle mass index (SMI) measured with the use of BIA, the mid-upper arm circumference (MUAC), the arm muscle circumference (AMC), and the calf circumference (CC), and the patients were divided into 3 groups according to the sex-specific tertiles of the skeletal muscle mass metrics. The end points were all-cause death and readmission due to HF.

RESULTS

The high MUAC and AMC groups showed significantly better prognoses than their respective low groups (combined events: high MUAC group hazard ratio [HR] 0.559, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.395-0.789 [P < 0.01]; high AMC group HR 0.505, 95% CI 0.359-0.710 [P < 0.01]), although high SMI and high CC were not associated with better prognoses.

CONCLUSIONS

Among patients with HF, MUAC and AMC are more associated with prognosis than SMI and CC, which are recommended in preexisting sarcopenia guidelines. MUAC and AMC may also be useful measures in sarcopenia assessments.

Trends and Outcomes of Early Rehabilitation in the Intensive Care Unit for Patients With Cardiovascular Disease: A Cohort Study With Propensity Score-Matched Analysis

BACKGROUND

The effectiveness of acute-phase cardiovascular rehabilitation (CR) in intensive care settings remains unclear in patients with cardiovascular disease (CVD). This study aimed to investigate the trends and outcomes of acute-phase CR in the intensive care unit (ICU) for patients with CVD, including in-hospital and long-term clinical outcomes.

METHOD

This retrospective cohort study reviewed a total of 1,948 consecutive patients who were admitted to a tertiary academic ICU for CVD treatment and underwent CR during hospitalisation. The endpoints of this study were the following: in-hospital outcomes: probabilities of walking independence and returning home; and long-term outcomes: clinical events 5 years following hospital discharge, including all-cause readmission or cardiovascular events. It evaluated the associations of CR implementation during ICU treatment (ICU-CR) with in-hospital and long-term outcomes using propensity score-matched analysis.

RESULTS

Among the participants, 1,092 received ICU-CR, the rate of which tended to increase with year trend (p for trend <0.001). After propensity score matching, 758 patients were included for analysis (pairs of n=379 ICU-CR and non-ICU-CR). ICU-CR was significantly associated with higher probabilities of walking independence (rate ratio, 2.04; 95% CI 1.77-2.36) and returning home (rate ratio, 1.22; 95% CI 1.05-1.41). These associations were consistently observed in subgroups aged >65 years, after surgery, emergency, and prolonged ICU stay. ICU-CR showed significantly lower incidences of all-cause (HR 0.71; 95% CI 0.56-0.89) and cardiovascular events (HR 0.69; 95% CI 0.50-0.95) than non-ICU-CR.

CONCLUSIONS

The implementation of acute-phase CR in ICU increased with year trend, and is considered beneficial to improving in-hospital and long-term outcomes in patients with CVD and various subgroups.

Predictive value of cholinesterase in patients with heart failure: A new blood biochemical marker of undernutrition

BACKGROUND AND AIMS

This study was conducted to verify whether serum cholinesterase (ChE) is useful in predicting prognosis and discriminating undernutrition status compared to existing low-nutrition indices of blood chemical tests in patients with heart failure (HF).

METHODS AND RESULTS

A total of 1617 patients (1204 older patients) with HF who evaluated ChE during hospitalization were recruited for this study. The primary outcome was all-cause death, and multivariate survival analysis was performed. We drew a receiver operating characteristic curve for all-cause death, some undernutrition status, such as low body mass index, thin mid-upper arm circumference, low grip strength, and slow gait speed. The area under the curve was used to compare the predictive ability of ChE with some existing nutritional parameters, such as blood biochemical tests, controlling nutritional status (CONUT), and the geriatric nutritional risk index (GNRI). After adjusting for 29 variables, higher ChE significantly decreased the risk of all-cause death (per 10 increase, hazard ratio: 0.975, 95% confidence interval: 0.952-0.998), and this trend was maintained for older patients (per 10 increase, hazard ratio: 0.972, 95% confidence interval: 0.947-0.997). ChE was moderately correlated with CONUT and GNRI, but the predictive ability for all-cause death was higher for ChE relative to both scores. ChE tended to have an almost consistently high predictive ability compared with other blood biochemical tests.

CONCLUSIONS

ChE was associated with all-cause death and an almost consistently higher predictive ability for all-cause death and undernutrition status in comparison to existing blood chemical tests and nutritional scores.

Association between walking speed early after admission and all-cause death and/or readmission in patients with acute decompensated heart failure

AIM

Patients with heart failure (HF) frequently experience decreased physical function, including walking speed. Slower walking speed is associated with poorer prognosis. However, most of these reports focused on patients with stable HF, and the relationship between walking speed in acute phase and clinical outcomes is unclear. Therefore, we aimed to investigate the associations between walking speed early after admission and clinical events in patients with acute decompensated HF (ADHF).

METHODS AND RESULTS

We reviewed consecutive 1391 patients admitted due to ADHF. We measured walking speed the first time to walk on the ward more than 10 m after admission, and the speed within four days after admission was included in this study. The primary outcome was combined events (all-cause death and/or readmission due to HF). The follow-up period was up to one year from the discharge. The study population had a median age of 74 years (interquartile range [IQR]: 65-80 years), and 35.9% of patients were females. The median walking speed was 0.70 m/s (IQR: 0.54-0.88 m/s). Combined events occurred in 429 (30.8%) patients. Faster walking speed was independently associated with lower rate of combined events (adjusted hazard ratio per 0.1 m/s increasing: 0.951, 95% confidence interval:0.912-0.992).

CONCLUSION

Faster walking speed within four days after admission was associated with favourable clinical outcomes in patients with ADHF. The results suggest that measuring walking speed in acute phase is useful for earlier risk stratification.

Molecular Mechanisms Underlying the Progression of Aortic Valve Stenosis: Bioinformatic Analysis of Signal Pathways and Hub Genes

The calcification of the aortic valve causes increased leaflet stiffness and leads to the development and progression of stenotic aortic valve disease. However, the molecular and cellular mechanisms underlying stenotic calcification remain poorly understood. Herein, we examined the gene expression associated with valve calcification and the progression of calcific aortic valve stenosis. We downloaded two publicly available gene expression profiles (GSE83453 and GSE51472) from NCBI-Gene Expression Omnibus database for the combined analysis of samples from human aortic stenosis and normal aortic valve tissue. After identifying the differentially expressed genes (DEGs) using the GEO2R online tool, we performed Gene Ontology and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes pathway enrichment analyses. We also analyzed the protein-protein interactions (PPIs) of the DEGs using the NetworkAnalyst online tool. We identified 4603 upregulated and 6272 downregulated DEGs, which were enriched in the positive regulation of cell adhesion, leukocyte-mediated immunity, response to hormones, cytokine signaling in the immune system, lymphocyte activation, and growth hormone receptor signaling. PPI network analysis identified 10 hub genes: VCAM1, FHL2, RUNX1, TNFSF10, PLAU, SPOCK1, CD74, SIPA1L2, TRIB1, and CXCL12. Through bioinformatic analysis, we identified potential biomarkers and therapeutic targets for aortic stenosis, providing a theoretical basis for future studies.

Prognostic value of liver damage assessed through direct bilirubin levels and skeletal muscle weakness in patients with heart failure

BACKGROUND

Patients with heart failure (HF) often exhibit signs of liver dysfunction such as high bilirubin concentrations, leading to physical dysfunction and poor prognosis. Nevertheless, the relationship between direct bilirubin (DB), a fractionated form of total bilirubin, and dynapenia remains unclear, as does their effect on prognosis.

OBJECTIVES

This study investigated the association between DB concentrations and dynapenia in patients with HF.

METHODS

This retrospective study included patients with HF who underwent assessments for DB concentration, and handgrip and leg strengths to evaluate dynapenia and muscle weakness, respectively. Multiple logistic regression analyses examined the associations of DB with muscle strength and dynapenia. Additionally, we examined the prognostic value of comorbid high DB concentrations (≥0.5 mg/dL) and dynapenia. The endpoint was all-cause mortality.

RESULTS

Of 853 inpatients, high DB was identified in 147 and dynapenia in 377 (44.2%). Multiple regression analysis revealed that high DB was independently associated with decreased muscle strength (handgrip strength, P = 0.027; leg strength, P = 0.002). After adjusting for covariates, the high DB group (odds ratio: 1.800, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.203-2.695, P = 0.004) had a significantly higher risk of dynapenia than the low DB group. During the follow-up period, 189 patients died (median, 1.77 years; interquartile range, 0.64-3.81 years). The risk of death was significantly higher in the high DB and dynapenia group, even after adjusting for HF severity (hazard ratio: 2.610, 95% CI: 1.680-4.051, P<0.001).

CONCLUSIONS

High DB is associated with muscle weakness, and when combined with dynapenia, DB predicts a poorer prognosis in patients with HF.

Association between instrumental activities of daily living frequency and clinical outcomes in older patients with cardiovascular disease

AIMS

Impairment in activities of daily living (ADL) is an independent predictor of poor prognosis in older patients. Nevertheless, the effects of instrumental ADL (IADL) frequency on prognosis in older patients with cardiovascular disease (CVD) are unclear. We investigate the associations between IADL frequency and all-cause mortality and hospital readmission due to cardiovascular events in older patients with CVD.

METHODS AND RESULTS

A total of 638 consecutive outpatients ≥65 years old with CVD were enrolled. A questionnaire, including Frenchay Activities Index (FAI) parameters, was used to determine IADL frequency at the start of the study as the baseline observation. The primary endpoint was all-cause mortality, and the secondary endpoint was readmission for cardiovascular events. We examined the relationship between IADL frequency and each endpoint. Among the 632 patients evaluated {median age 74.0 [interquartile range (IQR) 70.0-78.0] years; 439 males}, there were 39 deaths and 105 cardiovascular events during the median follow-up period of 4.0 (IQR, 2.3-4.0) years. After adjusting for clinical confounding factors, the hazard ratios for all-cause mortality and cardiovascular events in the FAI points were 0.957 [95% confidence interval (CI), 0.920-0.996] and 0.973 (95% CI, 0.950-0.997), respectively.

CONCLUSION

A higher IADL frequency was independently associated with better outcomes in older patients with CVD, suggesting that the preservation of instrumental activities should be focused on as the components of cardiovascular rehabilitation.

SARC-F predicts poor motor function, quality of life, and prognosis in older patients with cardiovascular disease and cognitive impairment

OBJECTIVES

We investigated whether SARC-F scores were associated with motor function, quality of life (QOL) related to physical function, and prognosis in older patients with cardiovascular disease (CVD) and cognitive impairment.

METHODS

This was a retrospective cross-sectional cohort study. The study population consisted of 408 patients with CVD (≥60 years old) who completed the SARC-F questionnaire and Mini-Cog, a cognitive function test, at discharge. Sarcopenia was defined as a total SARC-F score ≥ 4 points. Patients who were cognitively-preserved (Mini-Cog score ≥ 3 points) were excluded. Patients completed the handgrip strength, leg strength, usual gait speed, 6-minute walking distance, short physical performance battery score, and 36-item Short-Form Health Survey Physical Functioning (SF-36PF) tests before discharge. Associations of SARC-F with physical function, QOL, and prognoses (i.e., composite of all-cause death and emergency CVD rehospitalization and the number of CVD rehospitalizations) were investigated.

RESULTS

Sarcopenia (SARC-F score ≥ 4 points) was associated with poorer motor function test outcomes and SF-36PF scores (all P < 0.001). The correlations remained significant after adjusting for comorbidities (e.g., anemia, prior heart failure, and renal dysfunction). Sarcopenia was also associated with a poorer prognosis (hazard ratio: 1.574; 95 % confidence interval [CI], 1.011-2.445) and an increased risk of CVD rehospitalization (incidence rate ratio: 1.911; 95 % CI, 1.312-2.782) after adjusting for comorbidities.

CONCLUSIONS AND IMPLICATIONS

In older patients with CVD and cognitive impairment, the SARC-F questionnaire may be a simple and inexpensive tool for identifying patients with decreased motor function and a poor prognosis.

Relationship between the spread of COVID-19, social frailty, and depressive symptoms in patients with heart failure

In community-dwelling older people, coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has been reported to be associated with the development of frailty and depressive symptoms. We aimed to investigate whether the spread of COVID-19 is associated with the development of frailty in patients with heart failure (HF). The presence of the multi-domain of frailty in 257 patients with HF was assessed at hospital discharge. The spread of COVID-19 was significantly associated with the development of social frailty and depressive symptoms. Evaluation of these symptoms during hospitalization would support disease management and understanding of their social and psychological conditions.

Correlation between respiratory muscle weakness and frailty status as risk markers for poor outcomes in patients with cardiovascular disease

AIMS

Although the developmental mechanism of respiratory muscle weakness (RMW) and frailty are partly similar in patients with cardiovascular disease (CVD), their relationship remains unclear. This study aimed to investigate the correlation between RMW and frailty and its impact on clinical outcomes in patients with CVD.

METHODS AND RESULTS

In this retrospective observational study, consecutive 1217 patients who were hospitalized for CVD treatment were enrolled. We assessed frailty status by using the Fried criteria and respiratory muscle strength by measuring the maximal inspiratory pressure (PImax) at hospital discharge, with RMW defined as PImax <70% of the predicted value. The endpoint was a composite of all-cause death and/or readmission for heart failure. We examined the prevalence of RMW and frailty and their correlation. The relationships of RMW with the endpoint for each presence or absence of frailty were also investigated. Respiratory muscle weakness and frailty were observed in 456 (37.5%) and 295 (24.2%) patients, respectively, and 149 (12.2%) patients had both statuses. Frailty was detected as a significant indicator of RMW [odds ratio: 1.84, 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.39-2.44]. Composite events occurred in 282 patients (23.2%). Respiratory muscle weakness was independently associated with an increased incidence of events in patients with both non-frailty [hazard ratio (HR): 1.40, 95% CI: 1.04-1.88] and frailty (HR: 1.68, 95% CI: 1.07-2.63).

CONCLUSIONS

This is the first to demonstrate a correlation between RMW and frailty in patients with CVD, with 12.2% of patients showing overlap. RMW was significantly associated with an increased risk of poor outcomes in patients with CVD and frailty.

Association between SGLT2 Inhibitors and Cardiac Rehabilitation Outcomes in Patients with Cardiovascular Disease and Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus

The use of sodium-glucose cotransporter 2 (SGLT2) inhibitors in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) has been associated with decreased skeletal muscle mass but remains unclear in patients with cardiovascular disease (CVD) undergoing comprehensive outpatient cardiac rehabilitation (CR). Therefore, this study investigates the effect of SGLT2 inhibitors on the outcomes of patients with CVD and T2DM undergoing comprehensive outpatient CR. The study included 402 patients with CVD and T2DM who participated in comprehensive outpatient CR. Physical functions (grip strength, maximal quadriceps isometric strength, usual gait speed, and 6-minute walking distance) were measured at discharge as baseline and 5 months thereafter, and the association between physical functions and SGLT2 inhibitor use was reviewed. Physical functions improved regardless of SGLT2 inhibitor use. Multiple regression analysis showed that SGLT2 inhibitor use was not associated with improvement or decline in physical functions (p ≥ 0.05). The use of SGLT2 inhibitors in patients with CVD and T2DM undergoing outpatient CR did not impair improvement in physical functions.

Trends and outcomes of early rehabilitation in intensive care unit for patients with cardiovascular disease – a cohort study with propensity score-matched analysis

Background

Early rehabilitation in the intensive care unit (ICU), including early mobility therapy, is known to improve the clinical outcomes in patients with critically ill. However, the effectiveness of acute-phase cardiovascular rehabilitation (CR) during ICU treatment have not been thoroughly evaluated in patients with cardiovascular disease (CVD).

Purpose

We aimed to investigate the trends and outcomes of acute-phase CR in the ICU for patients with CVD, including in-hospital and long-term clinical outcomes.

Methods

We reviewed 1948 consecutive patients with CVD admitted to tertiary academic ICU at a university hospital. Patients were arbitrarily assessed by an ICU team consisting of medical and surgical doctors, nurses and physiotherapists within 24 hours after admission to ICU to discover whether their rehabilitation could be initiated according to the specific clinical trial and statement. As clinical characteristics, disease aetiology, comorbid conditions, and ICU treatment were obtained from an electronic database. We evaluated the probability of return to walking independence and return to home as in-hospital clinical outcomes. All patients were followed for five years and investigated all-cause and cardiovascular events after hospital discharge as long-term clinical outcomes. The associations between the implementation of CR during ICU treatment (ICU-CR) and clinical outcomes were evaluated using propensity score-matched analysis with adjustment for clinical characteristics in all matched patients and various subgroups, including aged &gt;65 years, surgical patients, emergency, and length of ICU stay ≥48 hours.

Results

Out of studied patients, 1092 patients received ICU-CR, the number of which positively correlated with year-trend (r=0.986, P&lt;0.001). After propensity score matching with adjustment for clinical characteristics including calendar years, 758 patients were included for analysis (pairs of n=379 ICU-CR and non-ICU-CR). The ICU-CR was significantly associated with a higher probability of return to walking independence (incident rate ratio [IRR], 2.04; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.77–2.36) and return to home (IRR, 1.22 95% CI, 1.05–1.41). These associations were consistently observed in various subgroups regarding CVD conditions (Figure 1). During the median follow-up periods of 2.6 years, all-cause clinical events and cardiovascular events occurred in 289 patients (38.1%) and 153 patients (20.2%), respectively. The ICU-CR showed significantly lower rates of five-year all-cause and cardiovascular events than non-ICU-CR (hazard ratio [95% CI] for all-cause events and cardiovascular events, 0.71 [0.56–0.89] and 0.69 [0.50–0.95], respectively, Figure 2).

Conclusions

The implementation of acute-phase CR in the ICU increased with year-trend, considered beneficial to improve in-hospital and long-term clinical outcomes in patients with CVD and various subgroups of relatively severe disease conditions.

Funding Acknowledgement

Type of funding sources: None.

Perme ICU Mobility Score as a comprehensive assessment tool of acute-phase rehabilitation is correlated with clinical outcomes in patients after cardiovascular surgery

Background

Early mobility therapy in the intensive care unit (ICU) is widely employed to improve the physical function and prognosis of patients with critically ill. On the other hand, patients who undergo cardiovascular surgery frequently suffer from disabilities after ICU care due to their cardiopulmonary conditions and treatments. However, few studies have reported the procedures and assessments of acute-phase rehabilitation in these patients. Recently, the Perme ICU Mobility Score (Perme Score) was developed as a reliable tool to assess comprehensive mobility status of patients in the ICU. We hypothesised that the Perme Score is a useful tool for assessing the mobility levels in the ICU and predicting clinical outcomes in patients undergoing acute-phase rehabilitation after cardiovascular surgery.

Purpose

To investigate the associations between the Perme Score within the second days after cardiovascular surgery and the patients' clinical outcomes, including physical function and the incidence of clinical events.

Methods

We studied 224 consecutive patients (34.4% female; aged 65±13 years) who were admitted to the ICU of a tertiary academic hospital after cardiac and/or major vascular surgery. Clinical characteristics including patient profiles, comorbidities, surgical details and APACHE II and SOFA scores were evaluated on ICU admission. The Perme Score contains categories on mental status, potential mobility barriers, muscle strength and mobility level, with higher scores indicating greater activity levels in the ICU. We assessed the Perme Score within the second days after the surgery. As a physical function at hospital discharge, we measured the six-minute walk distance (6MWD). The primary endpoint was a composite outcome of the number of all-cause mortality and/or all-cause unplanned readmission. We analysed the associations of the Perme Score with the 6MWD and the incidence of clinical events using multiple regression analysis and multivariate Poisson regression analysis, respectively.

Results

After adjusting for clinical confounding factors, a higher Perme Score was an independent factor of a higher 6MWD (Table 1). During the median follow-up period of 1.3 years, 51 cases of all-cause mortality/readmission occurred in 37 (16.5%) patients, with an incidence rate of 18.6/100 person-years. In the multivariate Poisson regression analysis, even after adjusting for the severity score in the ICU, a higher Perme Score was significantly and independently associated with lower rates of all-cause clinical events (adjusted incident rate ratio: 0.96, 95% confidence interval: 0.93–0.99, P=0.008, Figure 1).

Conclusions

The Perme Score within the second days after cardiovascular surgery is correlated with physical function at hospital discharge and the incidence of clinical events after discharge. Thus, a comprehensive assessment of acute-phase rehabilitation after cardiovascular surgery may be useful in predicting clinical outcomes.

Funding Acknowledgement

Type of funding sources: None.

Cancer as a risk factor for physical dysfunction and poor prognosis in patients with cardiovascular disease

Introduction

The emerging interdisciplinary field of cardio-oncology is of interest to clinicians because a history of cancer or cancer treatment is considered a severe risk factor for cardiovascular disease (CVD). Both cancer and CVD can reduce skeletal muscle mass; together, they can lead to a poorer prognosis. However, it is unclear whether a patient's cancer history can lower physical function and lead to a poor prognosis with the coexistence of cancer history and physical dysfunction in patients with CVD. This study aimed to identify the relationship between cancer history and physical function, as well as the prognostic value of their combination, in patients with CVD.

Methods

We reviewed 3,640 patients with CVD (mean age, 67.9±13.5 years) who underwent physical-function tests (gait speed and 6-min walking distance [6MWD]). We performed multivariate linear regression analysis to assess potential associations between cancer history and physical-function tests in patients with CVD. Additionally, we used the Kaplan–Meier curve and Cox regression analyses to assess survival and prognostic significance for patients divided into four groups according to the presence or absence of cancer history and high or low physical function.

Results

In multivariate linear regression analysis, cancer history was independently associated with lower gait speed and 6MWD (gait speed, P=0.048 and 6MWD, P=0.040). A total of 581 deaths occurred over a median follow-up period of 3.08 years (interquartile range: 1.36–5.27). For all-cause mortality, patients with a history of cancer and reduced physical function were found to have a significantly higher mortality risk even after adjusting for several covariates (gait speed, HR: 1.66, P=0.003 and 6MWD, HR: 1.71, P=0.003).

Conclusion

Cancer history was correlated with physical dysfunction in patients with CVD. Moreover, the coexistence of cancer history and physical dysfunction resulted in poorer prognosis in patients with CVD.

Funding Acknowledgement

Type of funding sources: None.

Sex differences in frequency of instrumental activities of daily living after cardiac rehabilitation and its impact on long-term mortality in patients with heart failure

Introduction

While the major outcome of cardiac rehabilitation for heart failure (HF) is the improvement of exercise tolerance, prognosis, and quality of life, instrumental activities of daily living (IADL) has also been focused on as one of the its outcomes. IADL has been reported to be associated with all-cause mortality and quality of life in community-dwelling people and in patients with stable heart disease, but no report has examined the relationship between IADL after cardiac rehabilitation for HF and prognosis. In addition, it is assumed that sex differences may affect the frequency of performing each component of IADL, but there are no reports examining the association with prognosis by sex.

Purpose

The present study aimed to investigate the sex differences in frequency of IADL and its impact on outcomes.

Methods

We retrospectively studied 490 consecutive patients who were admitted due to acute decompensated HF and participated in outpatient cardiac rehabilitation after discharge. The study was performed in accordance with the tenets of the Declaration of Helsinki, and the protocol was approved by the Ethics Committee of our institution. IADL frequency was assessed using the questionnaire-based Frenchay Activities Index (FAI). The primary endpoint was all-cause death and secondary endpoint was combined events (all-cause death and/or readmission due to HF). We performed the Kaplan–Meier and log-rank tests and multivariable Cox regression analysis to evaluate the prognostic predictive capability of the FAI.

Results

The study population had a median age of 69 (interquartile range [IQR]: 58–76) years, and 33.9% of patients were females. The median FAI score was 24 (IQR: 16–29) points. According to the Youden index based on the area under the curve calculated by the receiver operating characteristics curve, the cut-off values of FAI for all-cause death in all-over, females, and males were 23, 22, and 23 points, respectively. Over a median follow-up period of 4.8 years (IQR: 2.3–6.6 years), all-cause death and combined events were occurred in 95 (19.4%) and 213 (43.5%), respectively. After adjustment for several pre-existing prognostic factors, IADL assessed by the FAI was independently associated with all-cause mortality (hazard ratio [HR]: 0.961, 95% confidence interval [CI]:0.937–0.986) and combined events (HR: 0.968, 95% CI: 0.952–0.985), respectively. In addition, there was no interaction between sex in prognostic capability (P=0.664).

Conclusion

Lower IADL frequency assessed by FAI at the end of outpatient cardiac rehabilitation was shown to be associated with poorer prognosis in patients with HF, regardless of sex. The IADL level is generally higher in females than in males but seems to be a useful marker for risk stratification at the end of cardiac rehabilitation in both females and males.

Funding Acknowledgement

Type of funding sources: Public grant(s) – National budget only. Main funding source(s): Grant-in-Aid [JSPS KAKENHI Grant Number JP 19K19884]

Impact of small-airway disease on exercise intolerance and long-term outcomes in patients with heart failure and reduced or preserved ejection fraction

Introduction

Exercise intolerance in patients with heart failure (HF) is a strong indicator of a poor prognosis. As the respiratory impairment in HF patients, the small airway is reportedly more susceptible than central airways, which results in increased airway resistance and may cause poor outcomes. However, the impact of small-airway disease (SAD) on exercise intolerance and prognosis in patients with HF is still unclear.

Purpose

We investigated the associations between SAD and exercise intolerance in patients with HF, and the clinical significance of SAD for long-term clinical events with a reduced or preserved ejection fraction.

Methods

We reviewed 1015 patients with HF (mean age, 66.9±14.6 years; male, 64.5%) admitted for medical treatment. Patients with a prior history of chronic respiratory disease or an obstructive lung pattern – defined as the forced expiratory volume (%) in 1 s relative to &lt;70% forced vital capacity using spirometry – were excluded. Characteristics including HF aetiology, comorbidities conditions, medications, blood parameters, and echocardiographic variables were obtained from clinical records. All patients underwent spirometry at hospital discharge, and SAD was defined as the maximum mid-expiratory flow (%) relative to a &lt;60% predicted value. At hospital discharge, we measured 6-min walk distance (6MWD), and &lt;300 m was considered as exercise intolerance. The primary endpoint was a composite clinical event of all-cause death and/or unplanned readmission for HF. Multivariate logistic regression analysis was used to assess the association between SAD and exercise intolerance. The multivariate Cox proportional hazard model was used to clarify whether SAD was an independent predictor for the incidence of clinical events. We also performed subgroup analyses in each multivariate analysis based on a left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) of 40%.

Result

SAD was observed in 479 (47.2%) patients. LVEF subgroups included 458 (45.1%) and 518 (51.0%) patients with LVEF &lt;40% and ≥40%, respectively. After adjusting for clinical characteristics, SAD was independently associated with 6MWD &lt;300 m (Figure 1). Moreover, this association was consistently observed in the LVEF &lt;40% and ≥40% (Figure 1). During the median follow-up period of 1.5 years, all-cause death/readmission occurred in 431 patients (42.5%), and the incidence rate was 17.5/100 person-years. In the multivariate Cox proportional hazard model, SAD was independently associated with lower event-free survival rates in all patients and the LVEF &lt;40% subgroup, but not LVEF ≥40% subgroup (Figure 2A, B, and C, respectively).

Conclusion

This study is the first to reveal that SAD is associated with exercise intolerance in patients with HF regardless of LVEF. Moreover, SAD may have a predictive significance for long-term outcomes in patients with HF and subgroups with reduced, but not preserved ejection fraction.

Funding Acknowledgement

Type of funding sources: None.

Variation in heart rate range by 24-h Holter monitoring predicts heart failure in patients with atrial fibrillation

AIMS

The analysis of heart rate (HR) changes, such as the HR variability or HR turbulence, has been reported as a marker of cardiovascular events during sinus rhythm; however, those relationships during atrial fibrillation (AF) remain controversial, and those parameters are not commonly used in AF patients. We sought to investigate the relationship between a simple index focused on the HR and heart failure (HF) events in patients with permanent AF.

METHODS AND RESULTS

We enrolled 198 patients with permanent AF and evaluated the HR range, defined as the maximum HR minus the minimum HR on 24-h Holter electrocardiogram recordings. The patients were divided into two groups, i.e., the larger (n = 101) and smaller (n = 97) HR range (HRR) groups, determined by the median value. The HF events were defined as hospitalizations for HF or urgent hospital visits due to exacerbations of one's HF status. The observation period of this study was set at 5 years from registration. The median age was 73 (68-77) years, and 29% were female. The median HRR was 84 (63-118) beats per minutes (bpm). During the observational period of 1825 days (median), HF events occurred in 37 (0.047 per patient-year) patients. In a log-rank test, the larger HRR group had more frequent HF events than the smaller HRR group (P = 0.0078). In the adjusted Cox proportional hazards model using the significantly different factors from the univariate analysis (Model 1) and factors and medications associated with HF (Model 2), the larger HRR group had a higher prevalence of HF events than the smaller HRR group for both models [Model 1, adjusted hazard ratio = 3.21, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.593-6.708, P = 0.0009; Model 2, adjusted hazard ratio = 3.12, 95% CI 1.522-6.685, P = 0.002]. When analysed using the time-dependent Cox proportional hazards model, the HRR was associated with HF with a statistically significant difference in both the univariate and multivariate analyses [hazard ratio = 1.01, 95% CI 1.006-1.020, P = 0.0002; Model 1, adjusted hazard ratio = 1.02, 95% CI 1.011-1.027, P < 0.0001; Model 2, adjusted hazard ratio = 1.01, 95% CI 1.008-1.021, P = 0.0003). There was no significant difference in the chronotropic medications between the two groups.

CONCLUSIONS

In patients with permanent AF, a larger HRR was associated with HF events.

Relationship between the spread of coronavirus disease 2019, social frailty and depressive symptoms in patients with heart failure

Funding Acknowledgements

Type of funding sources: Public grant(s) – National budget only. Main funding source(s): the Japan Society for the Promotion of Science (JSPS) KAKENHI

Background

Owing to the spread of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), people have refrained from going out unnecessarily and have been maintaining social distance. These new lifestyle approaches have affected people physically, psychologically, and socially. Patients with heart failure (HF) are more likely to have social frailty, physical frailty, cognitive impairment, and depressive symptoms, and an overlap of these conditions leads to adverse events. Therefore, multi-domain assessment and understanding of the condition of patients with HF are important for disease management. The spread of COVID-19 is a predicted risk factor for these events, but its impact in patients with HF has not been investigated.

Purpose

We investigated whether the spread of COVID-19 is associated with the development of the multi-domain of frailty in patients with HF.

Methods

Patients who were independent in their daily activities before admission were included in the study. The presence of social frailty (Makizako’s five items), physical frailty (Fried phenotype model), cognitive impairment (Mini-Cog), and depressive symptoms (the Patient Health Questionnaire-2) in patients with HF were assessed at hospital discharge. Logistic regression analyses were used to examine the impact of the spread of COVID-19 on the development of the multi-domain of frailty in patients with HF.

Results

We included 482 patients in this study. Median patient age was 74 years, and 64.5% were male. In multivariate logistic regression analyses, the spread of COVID-19 was significantly associated with the development of social frailty (odds ratio [OR]: 1.15, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.02–1.30) and depressive symptoms (OR: 1.14, 95% CI: 1.02–1.27) but not with the development of physical frailty (OR: 1.24, 95% CI: 0.51–3.02) and cognitive impairment (OR: 1.72, 95% CI: 0.80–3.73).

Conclusion

The spread of COVID-19 was associated with the development of social frailty and depressive symptoms in patients with HF. Evaluation of social frailty and depressive symptoms during hospitalization would support disease management and understand their social and psychological conditions specific to the spread of COVID-19.

Prevalence of metabolic dysfunction-associated fatty liver disease and its association with physical function in patients with acute coronary syndrome

Funding Acknowledgements

Type of funding sources: Public grant(s) – National budget only. Main funding source(s): JSPS KAKENHI

Background

It is widely known that patients with acute coronary syndrome (ACS) are at increased risk of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), which is linked to sarcopenia and physical dysfunction. However, the relationship between metabolic dysfunction-associated fatty liver disease (MAFLD) and physical dysfunction remains unclear.

Purpose

The purpose of this study was to investigate the prevalence of MAFLD in patients with ACS to assess the relationship between MAFLD and muscle strength, walking speed, and 6-minute walking distance (6 MWD).

Methods

We reviewed patients with ACS who were assessed for hepatic steatosis using the fatty liver index, and the results were further assessed to determine the presence of MAFLD. Multiple regression analysis was used to examine the association between MAFLD and physical function.

Results

Among 479 enrolled hospitalized patients, MAFLD was identified in 234 (48.9%) patients. We conducted a multiple regression analysis in which MAFLD was independently associated with lower leg strength, gait speed, and 6 MWD (leg strength, P = 0.023; gait speed, P = 0.002 and 6 MWD, P = 0.017). Furthermore, having more metabolic impairment was still associated with lower physical function decline (leg strength, P for trend = 0.002; gait speed, P for trend = 0.019 and 6 MWD, P for trend = 0.003).

Conclusions

MAFLD is common in hospitalized patients with ACS, and most patients with MAFLD have many overlapping metabolic abnormalities. MAFLD is associated with impaired physical function, and the greater the number of overlapping metabolic abnormalities, the worse the motor function.

Skeletal muscle mass metrics as factors in the prognosis of heart failure patients

Funding Acknowledgements

Type of funding sources: Public grant(s) – National budget only. Main funding source(s): JSPS KAKENHI Grant

Background

Sarcopenia is a chronic condition that is characterized by the loss of skeletal muscle mass with declining muscle strength and/or performance that occurs gradually with aging. It has been reported that sarcopenia is highly prevalent in patients with heart failure (HF) and is a poor prognostic factor. Therefore, it is important to accurately assess skeletal muscle mass in patients with HF. However, there are no reports that have simultaneously examined different skeletal muscle mass metrics as factors in the prognosis of HF patients.

Purpose

The purpose of this study is to examine if the different skeletal muscle mass metrics are associated with the prognosis of HF patients.

Methods

We examined a total of 869 patients with HF, aged ≥20 years (73 [63, 80] years; 537 males), who were admitted to our hospital and participated in an inpatient cardiac rehabilitation program. We used skeletal muscle mass index (SMI) as measured by bioelectrical impedance analysis (BIA), mid-upper arm circumference (MUAC), arm muscle circumference (AMC), and calf circumference (CC) as metrics of skeletal muscle mass. The primary outcome was all-cause deaths, and secondary outcome was HF readmission. To investigate the association between each skeletal muscle mass metric and prognosis, patients were divided into three groups according to the tertiles of SMI, MUAC, AMC, and CC. In addition, cumulative event rates of survival curves, Gray test, and Fine & Gray test were performed to evaluate the prognostic predictive capability.

Results

Over a median follow-up period of 0.9 years (interquartile 0.4–1.9) years, a total of 80 deaths and 195 HF readmissions occurred in the patients. Cumulative event rates of survival curves and Gray test showed that there was a significant decrease in all-cause mortality and HF readmission in the high MUAC group and high AMC group compared to their respective low groups (P &lt; 0.05). Fine & Gray test after multivariate adjustment showed significantly better prognosis in the high MUAC group and high AMC group compared to their respective low groups (All-cause mortality: high MUAC group, subdistribution hazard ratio [sHR] = 0.42, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 0.20-0.88, P &lt; 0.05; high AMC group, sHR = 0.34, 95%CI = 0.16-0.72 P &lt; 0.05, HF readmission: high MUAC group, sHR = 0.69, 95%CI = 0.47-1.00, P &lt; 0.05; high AMC group, sHR = 0.63, 95%CI = 0.43-0.93, P &lt; 0.05).

Conclusion

Patients with HF who maintained high MUAC and high AMC had a good prognosis. CC and SMI were not associated with the prognosis of HF patients. This suggests the importance of evaluating MUAC and AMC in HF patients.

Optimal cutoff values for physical function tests in elderly patients with heart failure

Six-minute walk distance (6MWD) of 300 and 400 m are important targets of functional capacity. The present study was performed to determine cutoff values of physical function associated with 6MWD < 300 m and < 400 m in elderly patients with heart failure (HF). 6MWD, handgrip strength, quadriceps isometric strength (QIS), one-leg standing time (OLST), and 5-times sit-to-stand (5STS) before hospital discharge were evaluated in 1001 patients > 65 years (median age, 75: interquartile range, 71-80, 607 men) with HF. 6MWD < 300 and < 400 m were seen in 323 patients (32.3%) and 658 patients (65.7%), respectively. Handgrip strength, QIS, OLST, and 5STS were associated with 6MWD < 300 and < 400 m, respectively (P < 0.001). The cutoff values of handgrip strength, QIS, OLST, and 5STS were 18.9 kg, 35.0% body mass (BM), 9.1 s, and 9.5 s for 6MWD < 300 m, and 21.9 kg, 40.0% BM, 12.0 s, and 8.8 s for < 400 m, respectively. The cutoff values of physical function could be used to set cardiac rehabilitation goals and limiting determinants of reduced functional capacity in a clinical setting in elderly patients with HF.

Features of trunk muscle wasting during acute care and physical function recovery with aortic disease

BACKGROUND

Low skeletal muscle area or density, such as myosteatosis, identified on computed tomography (CT) is associated with poor prognosis in patients with cardiovascular diseases. However, there is a lack of evidence regarding the clinical process of skeletal muscle decline as a short-term change during acute care settings. This study focused on the use of routine CT imaging for aortic disease management and investigated the changes in skeletal muscle before and after acute care.

METHODS

This prospective study included 123 patients who underwent abdominal CT before and after acute care. The all-abdominal and each abdominal muscle areas were divided into eight parts (e.g. rectus abdominis, psoas, and erector spine), and their areas and densities were measured at the third lumbar vertebra level after the patients were discharged and de-identified with blinding to avoid measurement bias. Short physical performance battery (SPPB) was measured at the start and end of in-hospital cardiac rehabilitation. A generalized linear model with patients as random effects was made to investigate skeletal muscle loss during acute care. Multivariate linear regression analysis was also used to assess the relationship between the change in skeletal muscle during acute care and SPPB during in-hospital cardiac rehabilitation.

RESULTS

The median age of the patients was 70 (interquartile: 58-77) years, and 69.9% (86/123) were men. The median day between acute care from the day of surgery or hospital admission and follow-up CT was 7 (interquartile: 3-8) days. Overall muscle density declined after acute care (estimate value: -3.640, 95% confidence interval [CI]: -4.538 to -2.741), and each abdominal muscle density consistently declined (interaction: F value = 0.099, P = 0.998). In contrast, there was no significant change in the overall muscle area (estimate value: -0.863, 95% CI: -2.925 to 1.200). Changes in the muscle area were different for each skeletal muscle (interaction: F value = 2.142, P = 0.037), and only the erector spine muscle significantly declined (estimate value: -1.836, 95% CI: -2.507 to -1.165). After adjusting for confounding factors, a greater decline in muscle density was associated with lower recovery score on SPPB (β = 0.296, 95% CI: 0.066 to 0.400).

CONCLUSIONS

Muscle density consistently declined after acute care, especially the erector spine muscles, which also significantly decreased in size. A higher decline in muscle density was associated with a slower recovery of physical function during in-hospital cardiac rehabilitation in patients with aortic diseases.

Efficacy and Safety of Acute Phase Intensive Electrical Muscle Stimulation in Frail Older Patients with Acute Heart Failure: Results from the ACTIVE-EMS Trial

As frailty in older patients with acute heart failure (AHF) has an adverse effect on clinical outcomes, the addition of electrical muscle stimulation (EMS) to exercise-based early rehabilitation may improve the effects of treatment. Post hoc analysis was performed on a randomized controlled study for clinical outcomes and prespecified subgroups (ACTIVE-EMS: UMIN000019551). In this trial, 31 AHF patients aged ≥ 75 years with frailty (Short Physical Performance Battery [SPPB] score 4–9) were randomized 1:1 to receive treatment with an early rehabilitation program only (n = 16) or early rehabilitation with add-on EMS therapy (n = 15) for 2 weeks. Changes in physical function and cognitive function between baseline and after two weeks of treatment were assessed. There were no adverse events during the EMS period. The EMS group showed significantly greater changes in quadriceps’ isometric strength and SPPB compared to the control group, and EMS therapy showed uniform effects in the prespecified subgroups. There were no significant differences in the changes in other indexes of physical function and cognitive function between groups. There was no significant difference in the rate of heart failure hospitalization at 90 days between groups. In conclusion, older AHF patients with frailty showed greater improvement in lower extremity function with the addition of EMS therapy to early rehabilitation without adverse events.

The Prevalence of Metabolic Dysfunction-Associated Fatty Liver Disease and Its Association with Physical Function and Prognosis in Patients with Acute Coronary Syndrome

It is believed that patients with acute coronary syndrome (ACS) are at an increased risk of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), which can lead to sarcopenia and physical dysfunction. However, the relationship between metabolic dysfunction-associated fatty liver disease (MAFLD) and physical dysfunction and prognosis remains unclear. We investigated the prevalence of MAFLD in patients with ACS to assess the relationship between MAFLD and muscle strength, walking speed, and 6-min walking distance (6 MWD). We reviewed patients with ACS who were assessed for hepatic steatosis using the fatty liver index, and the results were further assessed to determine the presence of MAFLD. Among 479 enrolled hospitalized patients, MAFLD was identified in 234 (48.9%) patients. Multiple regression analysis revealed that MAFLD was independently associated with lower leg strength, gait speed, and 6 MWD (leg strength, p = 0.020; gait speed, p = 0.003 and 6 MWD, p = 0.011). Furthermore, in multivariate Poisson regression models after adjustment for clinical confounding factors, combined MAFLD and reduced physical functions were significantly associated with a higher incidence of clinical events. MAFLD is common in hospitalized patients with ACS and is associated with impaired physical function. Also, the coexistence of MAFLD and lower physical function predict the incidence of clinical events in patients with ACS.

Effect of atrial fibrillation on response to exercise-based cardiac rehabilitation in older individuals with heart failure

BACKGROUND

Although the coexistence of heart failure (HF) with atrial fibrillation (AF) exhibits poor outcomes, the correlation between AF status and outcomes after exercise-based cardiac rehabilitation (CR) remains unclear in older individuals with HF.

OBJECTIVE

This retrospective study aimed to investigate the impact of AF on changes in physical function and prognosis after CR in older individuals with HF.

METHODS

We enrolled consecutive individuals with HF who were ≥ 60 years old who received 5-month CR. Exercise-based CR involved moderate-intensity aerobic exercises tailored to each participant. Isometric quadriceps strength (QS) and 6-min walk distance (6MWD) were measured as physical function, at baseline and 5 months thereafter. We compared QS and 6MWD changes from baseline to the 5-month observation period (QS and 6MWD) between sinus rhythm and AF. We examined composite incidence of all-cause death or unplanned readmission after 5-month CR and analysed the association of QS and 6MWD with clinical events, estimating adjusted hazard ratios (aHRs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs).

RESULTS

Of the 764 participants, 476 (62%) had sinus rhythm, and 288 (38%) had AF. AF was associated with lower QS and 6MWD at baseline. The 2 groups did not differ in QS and 6MWD after adjusting for clinical confounders. With sinus rhythm, greater change in QS and 6MWD was significantly associated with reduced incidence of clinical events (QS tertile: aHR 0.75 [95% CI 0.60-0.92]; 6MWD tertile: aHR 0.59 [95% CI 0.46-0.76]); however, with AF, this association was observed for only 6MWD and not QS (QS: aHR 0.92 [95% CI 0.72-1.17]; 6MWD: aHR 0.73 [95% CI 0.54-0.98]).

CONCLUSION

AF in older individuals with HF is associated with reduced physical function at baseline but not response to exercise-based CR. Furthermore, positive response of physical function after CR is associated with better prognosis regardless of AF, which suggests that exercise-based CR is potentially effective in older individuals with HF and AF.

Associations between kidney function and outcomes following cardiac rehabilitation in patients with heart failure

Background

Kidney dysfunction is considered one of the most prevalent comorbidities in patients with heart failure (HF). A combination of HF and kidney dysfunction is associated with peripheral muscle impairment, exercise intolerance, and poor prognosis. Conversely, cardiac rehabilitation (CR) for HF patients has been recognized to improve their clinical outcomes. However, the impact of kidney function on responses to CR in patients with HF is still unclear.

Purpose

This study aimed to investigate the associations between baseline kidney function and outcomes following CR including changes in physical function and prognosis in HF patients.

Methods

We reviewed a total of 3,727 patients who were admitted for HF treatment and underwent comprehensive CR during hospitalization. In addition to clinical characteristics, we assessed the kidney function using estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) based on serum creatinine level at hospital discharge as baseline. The quadriceps strength (QS) and 6-minute walk distance (6MWD) were measured as muscle strength and functional capacity, respectively, at baseline. We also remeasured these parameter 5 months after hospital discharge in patients who participated in outpatient CR. The association between participation in outpatient CR and composite outcome of all-cause death and/or unplanned readmission were assessed using the multivariate Cox proportional hazard models in a subgroup of baseline eGFR. We also compared the changes in QS and 6MWD (ΔQS and Δ6MWD) between the eGFR stages.

Results

During the median follow-up period of 1.9 years, all-cause death/readmission occurred in 1604 (43.0%) patients, and their rate of incidence was 20.9/100 person-years. Out of studied patients, 1,585 (42.5%) patients participated in outpatient CR that was significantly associated with lower incidences of all-cause clinical events in patients with both eGFR ≥60 (adjusted hazard ratio [HR]: 0.73, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.60–0.89, P=0.002) and eGFR &lt;60 (adjusted HR: 0.88, 95% CI: 0.78–0.99, P=0.045), but those with an eGFR &lt;60 showed significant interaction between CR participation and adverse clinical events (interaction P&lt;0.035, Figure 1). Among the outpatient CR participants, QS and 6MWD were significantly higher after 5-month CR than those at baseline (P&lt;0.001, respectively), but the low baseline eGFR correlated with low ΔQS and Δ6MWD (trend P&lt;0.001, respectively) even after adjustment for clinical confounding factors (Figure 2).

Conclusions

Although the outcomes following CR is affected by baseline kidney function, outpatient CR is significantly associated with the positive change in physical function and better prognosis in HF patients with low kidney function.

Funding Acknowledgement

Type of funding sources: None.

Usefulness of physical function sub-item of SF-36 survey to predict exercise intolerance in patients with heart failure

Background

Exercise intolerance is widely known to be a major cardinal symptom in patients with heart failure (HF), but due to the recent coronavirus disease 2019 epidemic, it is still difficult to directly measure exercise tolerance in many hospitals and facilities. The 36-Item Short-Form Health Survey physical functioning (SF-36PF) pertain to lower extremity functioning and walking. The purpose of this study was to investigate whether SF-36PF is a useful predictor of exercise intolerance and to provide its optimal cut-off value for patients with HF.

Methods and results

SF-36PF and 6-min walking distance (6MWD) were evaluated in 372 consecutive patients with HF. Exercise intolerance was defined at 6MWD cut-offs of 200, 300, and 400 m. The addition of SF-36PF to the pre-existing determinants of exercise tolerance significantly improved the area under the curve scores (0.85 vs. 0.89, P = 0.011 for 6MWD <200 m; 0.90 vs. 0.93, P = 0.001 for 6MWD <300 m; 0.88 vs. 0.90, P = 0.021 for 6MWD <400 m) for the predictive effect on exercise intolerance. The cut-off values of SF-36PF for predicting exercise intolerance defined by 6MWD <200, 300, and 400 m were 45, 50, and 70, respectively.

Conclusions

SF-36PF is a useful tool as an alternative index to predict exercise intolerance in patients with HF.

Low skeletal muscle density combined with muscle dysfunction predicts adverse events after adult cardiovascular surgery

BACKGROUND AND AIMS

Although muscle dysfunctions are widely known as a poor prognostic factor in patients with cardiovascular disease, no study has examined whether the addition of low skeletal muscle density (SMD) assessed by computed tomography (CT) to muscle dysfunctions is useful. This study examined whether SMDs can strengthen the predictive ability of muscle dysfunctions for adverse events in patients who underwent cardiovascular surgery.

METHODS AND RESULTS

We retrospectively reviewed 853 patients aged ≥40 years who had preoperative CT for risk management purposes and who measured muscle dysfunctions (weakness: low grip strength and slowness: slow gait speed). Low SMD based on transverse abdominal CT images was defined as a mean Hounsfield unit of the psoas muscle <45. All definitions of muscle dysfunction (weakness only, slowness only, weakness or slowness, weakness and slowness), the addition of SMDs was shown to significantly improve the continuous net reclassification improvement and integrated discrimination improvement for adverse events in all analyses (p < 0.05). Low SMDs combined with each definition of muscle dysfunction had the highest risk of all-cause death (hazard ratio: lowest 3.666 to highest 6.002), and patients with neither low SMDs nor muscle dysfunction had the lowest risk of all-cause and cardiovascular-related events.

CONCLUSION

The addition of SMDs consistently increased the predictive ability of muscle dysfunctions for adverse events. Our results suggest that when CT is performed for any clinical investigation, the addition of the organic assessment of skeletal muscle can strengthen the diagnostic accuracy of muscle wasting.

Associations between kidney function and outcomes of comprehensive cardiac rehabilitation in patients with heart failure

AIMS

To investigate the impact of baseline kidney function on outcomes following comprehensive cardiac rehabilitation (CR) in patients with heart failure (HF).

METHODS

We reviewed a total of 3,727 patients who were admitted for HF treatment. Estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR), quadriceps strength (QS), and 6-min walk distance (6MWD) were measured at hospital discharge as a baseline and 5 months thereafter in participants of outpatient comprehensive CR. The association between outpatient CR participation and all-cause events was evaluated using propensity score-matched analysis in subgroups across eGFR stages. The changes in QS and 6MWD following 5-month CR were compared between eGFR stages.

RESULTS

Out of the studied patients, 1585 (42.5%) participated in outpatient CR. After propensity matching for clinical confounders, 2680 patients were included for analysis (pairs of n = 1340 outpatient CR participants and nonparticipants). The participation in outpatient CR was significantly associated with low clinical events in subgroups of eGFR ≥ 60 [hazard ratio (HR): 0.65, 95% confidence interval (CI): 0.51-0.84] and eGFR 45-60 (HR: 0.71, 95% CI: 0.55-0.92), but not in eGFR 30-45 (HR: 0.83, 95% CI: 0.64-1.08) and eGFR < 30 (HR: 0.88, 95% CI: 0.69-1.12). QS and 6MWD were significantly higher after 5-month CR than those at baseline (P < 0.001, respectively), but lower baseline eGFR correlated with lower changes in QS and 6MWD (trend P < 0.001, respectively).

CONCLUSIONS

Although low baseline kidney function attenuates the outcomes of CR, outpatient CR seems to be associated with a better prognosis and positive change in physical function in HF patients with low kidney function.

MO554THE EFFECT OF HEMOGLOBIN CHANGES AND THE SEVERITY OF CHRONIC KIDNEY DISEASE IN PHYSICAL FUNCTION IN ELDERLY PATIENTS WITH HEART FAILURE

Background and Aims

Anemia is frequently observed in patients with heart failure (HF) and causes increased hospitalization and mortality rates. Anemia is also associated with and is a major risk factor of impaired physical function and frailty. On the other hand, a high percentage of elderly patients with HF have chronic kidney disease (CKD), which is an aggravating factor for anemia, and the combination of anemia and CKD has been reported to increase physical dysfunction and mortality. However, the relationship between hemoglobin (Hb) changes and physical function during hospitalization in elderly patients with HF is unclear, and the impact of CKD severity on these relationships is also unclear. This study aimed to examine the relationship between Hb changes and physical function during hospitalization in elderly patients with HF. We further examined the relationship when stratified by CKD severity.

Method

Seven hundred and thirty-seven elderly patients with HF, who underwent changes in Hb and physical function test (leg strength, gait speed, and 6-min walking distance [6MWD]), were included in this study. Using a multiple linear regression model, associations between Hb changes and physical function were assessed. In addition, using a generalized linear mixed model, we divided the HF patients into three groups with eGFR ≥60, 30–60, and &lt;30, and examined whether the severity of CKD was related to the Hb change and physical function.

Results

The median age of the subjects in this study was 77 years (interquartile range 72–82). Changes in Hb during hospitalization were independent determinants of physical function (leg strength, β: 0.158, P &lt; 0.001; gait speed, β: 0.023, P &lt; 0.001; 6MWD, β: 13.039, P &lt; 0.001), even after accounting for factors related to severity of HF. Moreover, the group with more severe CKD showed significantly lower physical function, although Hb improved (P &lt; 0.001) with respect to leg strength and 6MWD compared with the group with lower CKD stage.

Conclusion

Hb change during hospitalization was an independent determinant of physical function in patients with HF. Patients with a more severe CKD showed lower leg strength values and 6MWD even if Hb improved.

Hemodynamic Changes During Neuromuscular Electrical Stimulation and Mobility Therapy for an Advanced Heart Failure Patient with Impella 5.0 Device

The Impella 5.0 is a catheter-mounted left ventricular assist device that is inserted through the patient's subclavian artery. This device allows patient mobilization. Early mobility improves outcomes, including physical function and exercise tolerance, in critically ill patients and those with heart failure (HF). However, there have been no studies regarding the safety of early mobilization during the period of Impella 5.0 insertion based on hemodynamic assessment.A 39-year-old man with idiopathic dilated cardiomyopathy and cardiogenic shock was transferred to our hospital for Impella 5.0 insertion. We started neuromuscular electrical stimulation (NMES) and mobilization eight days after Impella 5.0 insertion. The safety of NMES and mobilization was assessed based on mean blood pressure, heart rate (HR), and mean pulmonary artery pressure measurements as hemodynamic indicators. Muscle strength was also assessed using the Medical Research Council (MRC) scale. Throughout the interventions, only the HR increased slightly during mobilization, and there were no hemodynamic abnormalities. Also, the MRC scale score improved as mobilization progressed. The results presented here suggest that NMES and mobilization are safe and feasible in patients with Impella 5.0 insertion, and therefore should be widely adopted.

Associations of severity of liver damages with physical function and prognosis in patients with heart failure

Funding Acknowledgements

Type of funding sources: None.

Introduction

Heart failure (HF) and liver dysfunction often coexist because of complex cardiohepatic interactions, which adversely affects prognosis. However, the association between liver dysfunction and physical dysfunction, and between coexistence of both and prognosis in HF patients remains unclear.

Purpose

We evaluated the associations of severity of liver damage and physical function and prognosis in patients with HF.

Methods

The study population consisted of 895 patients with HF (mean age, 69.4 ± 14.2 years) who underwent liver function test using model for end-stage liver disease excluding international normalized ratio (MELD-XI) score and physical function test (grip strength, leg strength, gait speed, and 6-minute walking distance [6MWD]). The associations between MELD-XI score and physical function were assessed by multivariate linear regression model analysis. Moreover, we investigated the prognostic value of coexistence of liver dysfunction and physical dysfunction. The endpoint was all-cause mortality.

Results

After adjusting for covariates, MELD-XI score was independently associated with lower grip strength, leg strength, gait speed, and 6MWD (P &lt; 0.001). In addition, hierarchical multivariate linear regression analysis revealed that adding MELD-XI scores or BNP explained additional variance in the physical function measures. The MELD-XI score added to the clinical model was significantly more predictive of physical function (grip strength, change in F: 27.105, P &lt; 0.001; leg strength, change in F: 33.980, P &lt; 0.001; gait speed, change in F: 22.826, P &lt; 0.001; 6MWD, change in F: 59.193, P &lt; 0.001) than BNP added to the clinical model. Eighty-six deaths occurred over a median follow-up period of 1.67 years (interquartile range: 0.62 – 3.04). Patients with high MELD-XI score and reduced physical function were found to have significantly higher mortality risk even after adjusting for several covariates (grip strength, hazard ratio [HR] = 3.80 [95% confidence interval (CI) = 2.04 – 7.08], P &lt; 0.001; leg strength, HR = 4.65 [95% CI = 2.47 - 8.75], P &lt; 0.001 and gait speed, HR = 2.49 [95% CI = 1.43 - 4.33], P = 0.001; 6MWD, HR = 5.48 [95% CI = 2.88 - 10.41], P &lt; 0.001).

Conclusions

Liver dysfunction was correlated with reduced physical function. Moreover, the coexistence of lower physical function and liver dysfunction considerably affected prognosis in patients with HF.

Abstract Figure. Kaplan–Meier survival curves

Low skeletal muscle density combined with muscle dysfunction predicts adverse events after adult cardiovascular surgery

Funding Acknowledgements

Type of funding sources: Other. Main funding source(s): This study was supported by the Grant for Japan Society for the Promotion of Science (JSPS) KAKENHI.

Introduction

Although muscle dysfunction is widely known as a poor prognostic factor in patients with cardiovascular disease, no study has examined whether the addition of low skeletal muscle density (SMD) assessed by computed tomography (CT) to muscle dysfunction is useful.

Purpose

The present study aimed to examine whether SMDs can strengthen the predictive ability of muscle dysfunction for adverse events in patients who underwent cardiovascular surgery.

Methods

We retrospectively reviewed 853 patients (median age: 69 years, 65.1% male) aged ≥40 years who had preoperative CT for risk management purposes and muscle dysfunctions measured during postoperative cardiac rehabilitation. Muscle dysfunctions were determined from weakness (low grip strength) and slowness (slow gait speed) based on the Asia Working Group for Sarcopenia. Low SMD based on transverse abdominal CT images was defined as a mean Hounsfield unit of the psoas muscle &lt;45. To examine the complementary prognostic value for all-cause deaths, all-cause events, and cardiovascular-related events when low SMDs were added to four patterns of muscle dysfunction (weakness only, slowness only, weakness or slowness, and weakness and slowness), the continuous net reclassification improvement (cNRI) and integrated discrimination improvement (IDI) index were calculated.

Results

For all definitions of muscle dysfunction, the addition of SMDs was shown to significantly improve the cNRI (estimates: 0.377 to 0.468 for all-cause death, 0.220 to 0.248 for all-cause events, 0.308 to 0.322 for cardiovascular-related events) and IDI (estimates: 0.005 to 0.011 for all-cause death, 0.005 to 0.010 for all-cause events, 0.009 to 0.012 for cardiovascular-related events) in all analyses. Low SMDs combined with muscle dysfunctions were associated with the highest risk of all-cause death (Figure 1: A-D). Patients with neither low SMDs nor muscle dysfunction had the lowest risk of all-cause events and cardiovascular-related events (Figure1: E-L).

Conclusion

The predictive ability of muscle dysfunction for adverse events was consistently increased by addition of SMDs in patients who underwent cardiovascular surgery. Our results suggest that when CT is performed for any clinical investigation, the addition of the organic assessment of skeletal muscle can strengthen the diagnostic accuracy of muscle wasting.

Abstract Figure 1

Clinical usefulness of oxygen uptake during usual gait in patients with cardiovascular disease

BACKGROUND

Although oxygen uptake (VO₂) during exercise stress is a surrogate marker for prognosis in patients with cardiovascular disease (CVD), the stress test is sometimes difficult to perform owing to patient conditions, such as ageing or comorbidities. We investigated the relationships between VO₂ during usual gait with physical function and prognosis in patients with CVD.

METHODS

This single-centre observational study enrolled consecutive patients who were hospitalized for CVD treatment. Isometric quadriceps strength (QS) and 6-min walk distance (6MWD) as physical functions, and VO₂ during usual gait speed were measured at hospital discharge. We assessed the changes in VO₂ per body weight between at rest and during gait divided by gait speed (VO₂/kg/gait) and analysed the relationships of VO₂/kg/gait with physical functions and composite incidences of all-cause death or unplanned readmission after discharge.

RESULTS

In 367 patients (age, 65 ± 13 years; females, 34%), 112 clinical events occurred. VO₂/kg/gait showed significant negative correlations to QS (β = -0.114, p = 0.024) and 6MWD (β = -0.163, p < 0.001) after adjusting for confounding factors. High VO₂/kg/gait was significantly associated with a high rate of clinical events (hazard ratio for 1 standard deviation of VO₂/kg/gait, 1.36; 95% confidence interval, 1.11-1.66). This association was also observed in subgroups of older age and frailty.

CONCLUSIONS

High VO₂ during usual gait was a relevant factor for low physical function and poor prognosis in patients with CVD and even in older age and frailty, meaning that VO₂ during usual gait might be a novel and useful marker in clinical practice.

Post-intensive care syndrome as a predictor of mortality in patients with critical illness: A cohort study

Introduction

The post-intensive care syndrome (PICS) encompasses multiple, diverse conditions, such as physical disability, cognitive impairment, and depression. We sought to evaluate whether conditions within PICS have similar associations with mortality among survivors of critical illness.

Materials and methods

In this retrospective cohort study, we identified 248 critically ill patients with intensive care unit stay ≥72 hours, who underwent PICS evaluation. Patients with disability in activities of daily living, cognitive impairment, or depression before hospitalization were excluded. We defined PICS using established measures of physical disability (usual gait speed), cognitive impairment (Mini-Cog test), and depression (Patient Health Questionnaire-2) at hospital discharge. The endpoint was all-cause mortality.

Results

Patients had a median age of 69 years and Acute Physiology and Chronic Health Evaluation (APACHE) II score of 16. One hundred thirty-two patients were classified as having PICS, and 19 patients died. 81/248 (34%) patients had physical disability, 42/248 (19%) had cognitive impairment, and 44/248 (23%) had depression. After adjusting for covariates on multivariable Cox regression analyses, PICS was significantly associated with all-cause mortality (hazard ratio [HR] 3.78, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.02 – 13.95; P = 0.046). However, the association between PICS and all-cause mortality was related to physical disability and cognitive impairment (P = 0.001 and P = 0.027, respectively), while depression was not (P = 0.623).

Conclusion

While PICS as a syndrome has been useful in gaining attention to the sequelae of critical illness, its relationship with long-term mortality is driven largely by physical disability and cognitive impairment and not depression.

Prognostic value of cardio-hepatic-skeletal muscle syndrome in patients with heart failure

Although heart failure (HF) and liver dysfunction often coexist because of complex cardiohepatic interactions, the association between liver dysfunction and physical dysfunction, and between coexistence of both and prognosis in HF patients remains unclear. We reviewed 895 patients with HF (mean age, 69.4 ± 14.2 years) who underwent liver function test using model for end-stage liver disease excluding international normalized ratio (MELD-XI) score and physical function test (grip strength, leg strength, gait speed, and 6-min walking distance [6MWD]). In the multiple regression analysis, MELD-XI score was independently associated with lower grip strength, leg strength, gait speed, and 6MWD (all P < 0.001). One hundred thirty deaths occurred over a median follow-up period of 1.67 years (interquartile range: 0.62–3.04). For all-cause mortality, patients with high MELD-XI scores and reduced physical functions were found to have a significantly higher mortality risk even after adjusting for several covariates (grip strength, hazard ratio [HR]: 3.80, P < 0.001; leg strength, HR: 4.65, P < 0.001; gait speed, HR: 2.49, P = 0.001, and 6MWD, HR: 5.48, P < 0.001). Liver dysfunction was correlated with reduced physical function. Moreover, the coexistence of lower physical function and liver dysfunction considerably affected prognosis in patients with HF.

Vascular Endothelial Glycocalyx Damage in COVID-19

The new coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19), which is spreading around the world and threatening people, is easily infecting a large number of people through airborne droplets; moreover, patients with hypertension, diabetes, obesity, and cardiovascular disease are more likely to experience severe conditions. Vascular endothelial dysfunction has been suggested as a common feature of high-risk patients prone to severe COVID-19, and measurement of vascular endothelial function may be recommended for predicting severe conditions in high-risk patients with COVID-19. However, fragmented vascular endothelial glycocalyx (VEGLX) is elevated in COVID-19 patients, suggesting that it may be useful as a prognostic indicator. Although the relationship between VEGLX and severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 infections has not been well studied, some investigations into COVID-19 have clarified the relationship between VEGLX and the mechanism that leads to severe conditions. Clarifying the usefulness of VEGLX assessment as a predictive indicator of the development of severe complications is important as a strategy for confronting pandemics caused by new viruses with a high affinity for the vascular endothelium that may recur in the future.

Clinical and Microbiological Features of Asymptomatic SARS-CoV-2 Infection and Mild COVID-19 in Seven Crewmembers of a Cruise Ship

Objective To describe the clinical features and clinical course of individuals diagnosed with asymptomatic severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection or mild coronavirus disease (COVID)-19. Patients The study participants consisted of 7 crewmembers of the passenger cruise-liner, Diamond Princess, who were admitted to our hospital after becoming infected with SARS-CoV-2 aboard the ship. Methods The data on patient background and biochemical test results were obtained from the patients' medical records. All patients had a chest X-ray, and a throat swab and sputum samples were sent for culture on admission. Results The median age of the 7 patients, of whom 4 were male and 3 were female, was 39 years (range: 23-47 years). On admission, none of them had fever, but 4 (57%) had a cough. None of them showed any signs of organ damage on laboratory testing. Chest X-ray showed pneumonia in one individual, which resolved spontaneously, while the other 6 had normal chest X-ray findings. Culture of throat swabs and sputum samples revealed that 4 patients (57%) had bacterial upper respiratory infections (Haemophilus influenzae, Klebsiella pneumoniae, and Staphylococcus aureus). The period from a positive polymerase chain reaction (PCR) test to negative conversion ranged from 5 to 13 days, with a median of 8 days. Conclusion Healthy young adults without risk factors who acquire SARS-CoV-2 infection may have an asymptomatic infection or may experience mild COVID-19. In addition to obesity, an older age, underlying illness, and being overweight can lead to a risk of exacerbation; thus, hospital management for such individuals may be desirable. Culturing respiratory samples may be useful for diagnosing secondary bacterial pneumonia.