Identifying Pathophysiological Mechanisms in Heart Failure With Reduced Versus Preserved Ejection Fraction

Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease is associated with a worse prognosis in patients with heart failure: A pool analysis

Background and aims

Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is associated with a higher risk of heart failure (HF) than those without NAFLD. However, the prognostic impact of NAFLD in HF is still controversial. This meta-analysis aimed to explore the association between NAFLD and the risk of adverse outcomes in patients with HF.

Methods

We searched multiple electronic databases (Embase, PubMed, and Google Scholar) for potentially related studies up to June 30, 2022. Cohort studies reported multivariable adjusted relative risks and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) of adverse outcomes in HF patients with NAFLD comparing those without NAFLD were included for analysis.

Results

A total of six studies involving 12,374 patients with HF were included for analysis, with a median follow-up duration of 2.5 years. The pooled analysis showed that HF patients with NAFLD were associated with a significantly increased risk of major composite adverse outcomes (HR 1.61, 95% CI 1.25-2.07), all-cause mortality (HR 1.66, 95% CI 1.39-1.98), and HF hospitalization or re-hospitalization (HR 1.71, 95% CI 1.03-2.86).

Conclusion

NAFLD is associated with a worse prognosis in patients with HF. Effective screening and treatment strategies are needed to improve the prognosis in HF patients with NAFLD.

Systemic Inflammation is Associated with Cardiometabolic Risk Factors and Clinical Outcomes

Purpose

Assessing an individual's systemic inflammatory state is vital to understand inflammation's role in cardiometabolic diseases and identify those at the greatest risk of disease. We generated global inflammation scores and investigated their associations with cardiometabolic risk factors and adverse outcomes.

Patients and Methods

Aggregate Inflammation Scores (AIS) and Principal Component Analysis (PCA) scores were generated for 7287 Framingham Heart Study participants using up to 26 inflammation-related proteins, with higher scores reflecting a pro-inflammatory milieu. Multivariable regression and proportional hazards analyses were conducted to investigate the associations of inflammation with cardiometabolic risk factors and outcomes. The primary outcomes for cross-sectional analyses included age, cigarette smoking, fasting lipid and glucose levels, blood pressure, body mass index (BMI), and hypertension, diabetes, and obesity. For prospective analyses, new-onset hypertension, diabetes, obesity, cardiovascular disease and all-cause mortality were investigated.

Results

Higher inflammation scores were associated with smoking and older age, higher BMI, systolic blood pressure, lipids, and glucose levels, and with greater odds of hypertension and diabetes after adjusting for age, sex, cohort, and BMI (all p < 0.001). Higher baseline scores were associated with greater odds of new-onset hypertension after adjusting for traditional risk factors (OR [95% CI] per one standard deviation [1-SD] increase, AIS: 1.33 [1.21-1.47], PCA score: 1.26 [1.12-1.42], p < 0.001). The AIS also was associated with new-onset diabetes (1.32 [1.14-1.52], p < 0.001). Proportional hazards analyses revealed greater risk of new-onset cardiovascular disease events and all-cause mortality (HR [95% CI] per 1-SD, AIS: 1.25 [1.14-1.37] and 1.32 [1.23-1.42], PCA score: 1.22 [1.13-1.33] and 1.40 [1.31-1.49], p < 0.001).

Conclusion

Global inflammation scores encompassing an array of pro- and anti-inflammatory proteins and pathways may enhance risk assessment for cardiometabolic diseases. The AIS and PCA scores provide further opportunities to investigate the mechanisms of inflammation-related risk of disease.

Combination of Neutrophil-to-Lymphocyte and Platelet-to-Lymphocyte Ratios as a Novel Predictor of Cardiac Death in Patients With Acute Decompensated Heart Failure With Preserved Left Ventricular Ejection Fraction: A Multicenter Study

Background Neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) and platelet-to-lymphocyte ratio (PLR) are novel inflammation markers. Their combined usefulness for estimating the prognosis of patients with heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF) admitted for acute decompensated heart failure remains elusive. Methods and Results We investigated 1026 patients registered in the Prospective Multicenter Observational Study of Patients with Heart Failure with Preserved Ejection Fraction. Both NLR and PLR values were measured at the time of admission. Comorbidity burden was defined as the number of occurrences of 8 common comorbidities of HFpEF. The primary end point was cardiac death. The patients were stratified into 3 groups based on the optimal cut-off values of NLR and PLR on the receiver operating characteristic curve analysis for predicting cardiac death (low NLR and PLR, either high NLR or PLR, and both high NLR and PLR). After a median follow-up of 429 days, 195 patients died, with 85 of these deaths attributed to cardiac causes. An increased comorbidity burden was significantly associated with a higher proportion of patients with high NLR (>4.5) or PLR (>193), or both. High NLR and PLR values were independently associated with cardiac death, and a combination of both values was the strongest predictor (hazard ratio, 2.66 [95% CI, 1.51%-4.70%], P=0.0008). A significant difference was found in the rate of cardiac death among the 3 groups stratified by NLR and PLR values. Conclusions The combination of NLR and PLR is useful for the prediction of postdischarge cardiac death in patients with acute HFpEF. Registration URL: ClinicalTrials.gov; Unique identifier: UMIN000021831.

Prognostic value of Growth differentiation factors 15 in Acute heart failure patients with preserved ejection fraction

AIMS

There is an increasing proportion of hospitalized heart failure (HF) patients classified as HF with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF) around the world. Growth differentiation factor 15 (GDF-15) is a promising biomarker in HFpEF prognostication; however, the majority of the existing data has been derived from the research on undifferentiated HF, whereas the studies focusing on HFpEF are still limited. This study aimed to determine the prognostic power of GDF-15 in the hospitalized patients with HFpEF in a Chinese cohort.

METHODS AND RESULTS

We analysed the levels of serum GDF-15 in 380 patients hospitalized for acute onset of HFpEF measured by heart ultrasound at admission in a prospective cohort. The associations of GDF-15 with 1 year risk of all-cause death and 1 year HF readmission were assessed by the Cox proportional hazards model. Area under the receiver operating characteristic curves was used to compare predictive accuracy. GDF-15 was strongly correlated with 1 year HF readmission and 1 year all-cause death, with event rates of 24.8%, 40.0%, and 50.0% for 1 year HF readmission (P < 0.001), respectively, and with 11.2%, 13.6%, and 24.6% for 1 year all-cause death (P = 0.004) in the corresponding tertile, respectively. In the multivariate linear regression model, GDF-15 had a significantly negative correlation with haemoglobin (P = 0.01) and a positive correlation with creatinine (P = 0.01), alanine transaminase (P = 0.001), and therapy of aldosterone antagonist (P = 0.018). The univariate Cox regression model of GDF-15 showed that c-statistic was 0.632 for 1 year HF readmission and 0.644 for 1 year all-cause death, which were superior to the N-terminal pro-brain natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP) model with c-statistics of 0.595 and 0.610, respectively. In the multivariable Cox regression model, GDF-15 tertiles independently predicted 1 year HF readmission (hazard ratio 2.25, 95% confidence interval: 1.43-3.54, P < 0.001) after adjusting for baseline Acute Study of Clinical Effectiveness of Nesiritide in Decompensated Heart Failure (ASCEND-HF) risk score, history of HF, NT-proBNP, and high-sensitivity cardiac troponin T. Compared with the model including all the adjusted variables, the model with the addition of GDF-15 improved predictive power, with c-statistic increasing from 0.643 to 0.657 for 1 year HF readmission and from 0.638 to 0.660 for 1 year all-cause death.

CONCLUSIONS

In hospitalized patients with HFpEF, GDF-15 measured within 48 h of admission is a strong independent biomarker for 1 year HF readmission and even better than NT-proBNP. GDF-15 combined with the traditional indicators provided incremental prognostic value in this population.

Sex differences in heart failure with preserved ejection fraction: From traditional risk factors to sex-specific risk factors

Heart failure with preserved ejection fraction has a higher prevalence in women versus men. There are several proposed mechanisms to explain this sex discrepancy including differences in cardiovascular adaptation to comorbidities and potential underlying etiologic mechanisms. In this review, we summarize sex differences in traditional risk factors, such as obesity, diabetes, hypertension, and coronary artery disease, which contribute to the development of heart failure with preserved ejection fraction in women. Furthermore, we explore female-specific risk factors, such as sex hormones, adverse pregnancy outcomes, and other reproductive factors, which may explain the predominance of heart failure with preserved ejection fraction in women. Beyond sex differences in risk factors, there are also significant sex differences in outcomes with women reporting lower quality of life but overall better survival versus men. Finally, while treatment options for patients with heart failure with preserved ejection fraction are still limited, sex differences have also been reported for the available therapies, with suggestion of preferential benefit of specific heart failure with preserved ejection fraction therapies in women. Further work is required to better understand sex differences in heart failure with preserved ejection fraction, including deeper understanding of pathophysiological mechanisms, derivation of more accurate risk stratification models, and increased representation of women in clinical trials.

Protein biomarkers of cardiac remodeling and inflammation associated with HFpEF and incident events

There is increasing evidence that HFpEF is a heterogeneous clinical entity and distinct molecular pathways may contribute to pathophysiology. Leveraging unbiased proteomics to identify novel biomarkers, this study seeks to understand the underlying molecular mechanisms of HFpEF. The discovery cohort consisted of HFpEF cases and non-HF controls from the CATHGEN study (N = 176); the validation cohort consisted of participants from the TECOS trial of patients with diabetes (N = 109). Proteins associated with HFpEF were included in a LASSO model to create a discriminative multi-protein model and assessed in the validation cohort. Survival models and meta-analysis were used to test the association of proteins with incident clinical outcomes, including HF hospitalization, mortality and HFpEF hospitalization in CATHGEN, TECOS and the Jackson Heart Study. In the derivation set, 190 proteins were associated with HFpEF in univariate analysis, of which 65 remained significant in the multivariate model. Twenty (30.8%) of these proteins validated in TECOS, including LCN2, U-PAR, IL-1ra, KIM1, CSTB and Gal-9 (OR 1.93-2.77, p < 0.01). LASSO regression yielded a 13-protein model which, when added to a clinical model inclusive of NT-proBNP, improved the AUC from 0.82 to 0.92 (p = 1.5 × 10-4). Five proteins were associated with incident HF hospitalization, four with HFpEF hospitalization and eleven with mortality (p < 0.05). We identified and validated multiple circulating biomarkers associated with HFpEF as well as HF outcomes. These biomarkers added incremental discriminative capabilities beyond clinical factors and NT-proBNP.

Application Value of Systemic Inflammatory Indexes in the Clinical Evaluation of Patients with Heart Failure with Preserved Ejection Fraction (HFpEF)

Background: In areas where medical resources are scarce, an economical and convenient way to assess patients’ condition so that treatment plans can be adjusted in a timely manner makes sense. The clinical value of systemic inflammatory indexes (SII) such as neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR), lymphocyte-to-monocyte ratio (LMR), albumin-to-gamma-glutamyl-transferase ratio (AGR), white-blood-cell-count-to-mean-platelet-volume ratio (WMR), high-density-lipoprotein-cholesterol-to-C-reactive-protein ratio (HCR), etc. were explored in heart failure (HF) with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF) because of their easy availability and clinical value in the diagnosis, therapy and prognosis of cardiovascular diseases. Methods: 189 inpatients (including 48 patients with New York Heart Association (NYHA) I in the control group, and 141 patients with NYHA II-IV in the study group) from The First Affiliated Hospital of Jinan University, during the period July 2018 to March 2022, were included by retrieving electronic medical records. Logistic regression analysis, Spearman’s correlation coefficient, operating characteristic curve, etc. were used to analyze the data. Results: In patients with HFpEF, LMR (OR = 0.463, 95% CI 0.348−0.617, p = 0.000), NLR and N-terminal pro-B-type natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP) were independent predictors for the presence of HF, and LMR (OR = 2.630, 95% CI 2.016−3.435, p = 0.000), NLR, FAG, MHR, AGR and NT-proBNP were independent predictors for increased NYHA functional classification. There were good correlations (r > 0.4) between LMR (r = −0.667, p = 0.000), NLR, WMR, HCR, NT-proBNP (r = −0.681, p = 0.000) and NYHA functional classification, and LMR (AUC = 0.803, 95% CI 0.729−0.849, p = 0.0001), NLR and NT-proBNP (AUC = 0.805, 95% CI 0.738−0.861, p = 0.0001) had good diagnostic values (AUC > 0.7) for HF in patients with HFpEF. In addition, there were certain correlations between LMR, NT-proBNP and echocardiography indicators of cardiac structural. Conclusions: SII have a potential application value in the clinical evaluation of patients with HFpEF in the follow-up, especially in areas with limited medical resources, as they are more convenient and cost effective. Among different SII, LMR is probably the most promising metric. However, large-scale clinical trials are needed in the future to confirm these findings.

Sex differences and related estrogenic effects in heart failure with preserved ejection fraction

Heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF) is an essential subtype of heart failure accounting for 40% of the total. However, the related pathological mechanism and drug therapy research have been stagnant for a long time. The direct cause of this dilemma is the heterogeneity of HFpEF. And some researchers believe that there is no common pathway to reach the origin of HFpEF; others argue that there is an unidentified unified pathophysiological process hidden beneath the ice surface. Aside from the debate, a series of clinical studies have shown that hypertension and obesity play a fundamental role in the pathogenesis of HFpEF. These results imply that there may be two parallel pathological processes interweaved in one disease, manifested as multiple coexistent pathological phenomena, like a shadow. Meanwhile, the prevalence of HFpEF in women is higher than in men in any given age group, especially prominent in elderly patients. These pathological processes and epidemiological data reflect gender differences, reminding us to shift our attention to estrogen. This article will review the parallel pathogenesis of HFpEF, and also introduce sex differences and the potential effect of estrogen in this condition below.

The relationship between gut microbiota, chronic systemic inflammation, and endotoxemia in patients with heart failure with preserved ejection fraction

Aim. To study the relationship between the abundance of the genera in the gut microbiota (GM) and levels of serum biomarkers of chronic systemic inflammation and endotoxemia in patients with HFpEF.

Material and methods. The composition of GM among 42 patients with HFpEF (men, 57,1%) was assessed by 16S rRNA sequencing. The median age was 67,0 years, interquartile range [64,0; 71,5] years. Correlation and multivariate regression analysis (with adjustments for sex and age) of relationships between the relative abundance of intestinal bacteria and the concentrations of serum biomarkers including high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hsCRP), interleukins (IL) 1β and 6, the soluble suppressor of tumorigenicity (sST2), and the level of lipopolysaccharide (LPS) was carried out.

Results. According to multivariate regression analysis, the relative abundance of Haemophilus was directly related to the concentration of IL-1β (odds ratio (ОR) 32,37, 95% confidence interval (CI) 2,071237,69, p=0,025), Coriobacteriaceae (unclassified) — with IL-6 (ОR 6,27, (1,42-36,74), p=0,024), Porphyromonadaceae (unclassified) — with sST2 (ОR 5,96, (1,33-34,39), p=0,028), and the relative abundance of the genera Pseudomonas (ОR 7,09, (1,45-42,39), p=0,020), Parasutterella (ОR 4,55, (1,07-22,76), p=0,047) and Clostridiaceae (unclassified) (ОR 4,85, (1,06-24,7), p=0,045) was directly associated with LPS levels.

Conclusion. In patients with HFpEF, the relative abundance of some GM genera (e.g., Haemophilus, Coriobacteriaceae (unclassified), Porphyromonadaceae (unclassified), Pseudomonas, Parasutterella, Clostridiaceae (unclassified)) is statistically significantly associated with the concentration of biomarkers of chronic systemic inflammation and endotoxemia.

Biomarker profiles in heart failure with preserved vs. reduced ejection fraction: results from the DIAST-CHF study

AIMS

Chronic heart failure (HF) is a common disease and one of the leading causes of death worldwide. Heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF) and with reduced ejection fraction (HFrEF) are different diseases with distinct as well as comparable pathophysiologies and diverse responses to therapeutic agents. We aimed to identify possible pathobiochemical signalling pathways and biomarkers in HFpEF and HFrEF by using a broad proteomic approach.

METHODS AND RESULTS

A total of 180 biomarkers in the plasma of a representative subgroup (71 years old) of HFpEF (70% female) with a left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) ≥ 50% and HFrEF (18% female) with an LVEF ≤ 40% patients (n = 127) from the Prevalence and Clinical Course of Diastolic Dysfunction and Diastolic Heart Failure (DIAST-CHF) trial were examined and compared with a healthy control group (n = 40; 48% female). We were able to identify 35 proteins that were expressed significantly different in both HF groups compared with the control group. We determine 29 unique proteins expressed in HFpEF and 33 unique proteins in HFrEF. Significantly up-regulated trefoil factor 3 (TFF3) and down-regulated contactin-1 could be identified as previously unknown biomarkers for HF. However, TFF3 is also a predictive factor for the occurrence of a cardiovascular event in HFpEF patients. In HFpEF, serine protease 27 was found at reduced levels for the first time, which could offer a new therapeutic target. Additionally, network analyses showed a special role of platelet-derived growth factor subunit A, Dickkopf-related protein 1, and tumour necrosis factor receptor superfamily member 6 in HFpEF patients, whereas perlecan and junctional adhesion molecule A stood out in the HFrEF group. Overall, signalling pathways of metabolic processes, cellular stress, and iron metabolism seemed to be important for HFrEF, whereas for HFpEF, oxygen stress, haemostasis, cell renewal, cell migration, and cell proliferation are in the foreground.

CONCLUSIONS

The identified proteins and signalling pathways offer new therapeutic and diagnostic approaches for patients with chronic HF.

The Conundrum of HFpEF Definition: Non-Invasive Assessment Uncertainties and Alternative Diagnostic Strategies

Heart failure (HF) with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF) is a heterogeneous syndrome including several morphological phenotypes and varying pathophysiological mechanisms. The conventional classification of HF based on left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) has created an oversimplification in diagnostic criteria. Although LVEF is a standardized parameter easy to calculate and broadly applied in the large clinical trials, but it is erroneously considered an index of left ventricular (LV) systolic function. Indeed,  it is affected by preload and afterload and it has limitations related to reproducibility, reduced sensitivity and scarce prognostic values especially when above 50%. Notably, additional diagnostic parameters have been recently proposed in order to improve diagnostic accuracy and to homogenise the different HFpEF populations. Unfortunately, these algorithms comprise sophisticated measurements that are difficult to apply in the daily clinical practice. Additionally, the scarce diffusion of these diagnostic criteria may have led to neutral or negative results in interventional phase 3 trials . We propose changes to the current HFpEF diagnostic approach mainly based on LVEF stratification measurement aiming towards a more inclusive model taking into consideration an integrative approach starting from the main diseases responsible for cardiac dysfunction  through to cardiac structural and functional alterations. Accordingly, with recent universal HF definitions, a stepwise model could be helpful in recognizing patients with early vs. overt HFpEF by the appraisal of specific Doppler echocardiographic variables. Thus, we would encourage the application of new criteria in order to better identify the different phenotypes and to move towards more personalized medicine.

Heart failure during the COVID-19 pandemic: clinical, diagnostic, management, and organizational dilemmas

The coronavirus 2019 (COVID-19) infection pandemic has affected the care of patients with heart failure (HF). Several consensus documents describe the appropriate diagnostic algorithm and treatment approach for patients with HF and associated COVID-19 infection. However, few questions about the mechanisms by which COVID can exacerbate HF in patients with high-risk (Stage B) or symptomatic HF (Stage C) remain unanswered. Therefore, the type of HF occurring during infection is poorly investigated. The diagnostic differentiation and management should be focused on the identification of the HF phenotype, underlying causes, and subsequent tailored therapy. In this framework, the relationship existing between COVID and onset of acute decompensated HF, isolated right HF, and cardiogenic shock is questioned, and the specific management is mainly based on local hospital organization rather than a standardized model. Similarly, some specific populations such as advanced HF, heart transplant, patients with left ventricular assist device (LVAD), or valve disease remain under investigated. In this systematic review, we examine recent advances regarding the relationships between HF and COVID-19 pandemic with respect to epidemiology, pathogenetic mechanisms, and differential diagnosis. Also, according to the recent HF guidelines definition, we highlight different clinical profile identification, pointing out the main concerns in understudied HF populations.

Insulin-like growth factor binding protein 7 (IGFBP7), a link between heart failure and senescence

AIMS

Insulin like growth factor binding protein 7 (IGFBP7) is a marker of senescence secretome and a novel biomarker in patients with heart failure (HF). We evaluated the prognostic value of IGFBP7 in patients with heart failure and examined associations to uncover potential new pathophysiological pathways related to increased plasma IGFBP7 concentrations.

METHODS AND RESULTS

We have measured plasma IGFBP7 concentrations in 2250 subjects with new-onset or worsening heart failure (BIOSTAT-CHF cohort). Higher IGFBP7 plasma concentrations were found in older subjects, those with worse kidney function, history of atrial fibrillation, and diabetes mellitus type 2, and in subjects with higher number of HF hospitalizations. Higher IGFBP7 levels also correlate with the levels of several circulating biomarkers, including higher NT-proBNP, hsTnT, and urea levels. Cox regression analyses showed that higher plasma IGFBP7 concentrations were strongly associated with increased risk of all three main endpoints (hospitalization, all-cause mortality, and combined hospitalization and mortality) (HR 1.75, 95% CI 1.25-2.46; HR 1.71, 95% CI 1.39-2.11; and HR 1.44, 95% CI 1.23-1.70, respectively). IGFBP7 remained a significant predictor of these endpoints in patients with both reduced and preserved ejection fraction. Likelihood ratio test showed significant improvement of all three risk prediction models, after adding IGFBP7 (P < 0.001). A biomarker network analysis showed that IGFBP7 levels activate different pathways involved in the regulation of the immune system. Results were externally validated in BIOSTAT-CHF validation cohort.

CONCLUSIONS

IGFPB7 presents as an independent and robust prognostic biomarker in patients with HF, with both reduced and preserved ejection fraction. We validate the previously published data showing IGFBP7 has correlations with a number of echocardiographic markers. Lastly, IGFBP7 pathways are involved in different stages of immune system regulation, linking heart failure to senescence pathways.

Distinct pathophysiological pathways in women and men with heart failure

AIMS

Clinical differences between women and men have been described in heart failure (HF). However, less is known about the underlying pathophysiological mechanisms. In this study, we compared multiple circulating biomarkers to gain better insights into differential HF pathophysiology between women and men.

METHODS AND RESULTS

In 537 women and 1485 men with HF, we compared differential expression of a panel of 363 biomarkers. Then, we performed a pathway over-representation analysis to identify differential biological pathways in women and men. Findings were validated in an independent HF cohort (575 women, 1123 men). In both cohorts, women were older and had higher left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF). In the index and validation cohorts respectively, we found 14/363 and 12/363 biomarkers that were relatively up-regulated in women, while 21/363 and 14/363 were up-regulated in men. In both cohorts, the strongest up-regulated biomarkers in women were leptin and fatty acid binding protein-4, compared to matrix metalloproteinase-3 in men. Similar findings were replicated in a subset of patients from both cohorts matched by age and LVEF. Pathway over-representation analysis revealed increased activity of pathways associated with lipid metabolism in women, and neuro-inflammatory response in men (all p &lt; 0.0001).

CONCLUSION

In two independent cohorts of HF patients, biomarkers associated with lipid metabolic pathways were observed in women, while biomarkers associated with neuro-inflammatory response were more active in men. Differences in inflammatory and metabolic pathways may contribute to sex differences in clinical phenotype observed in HF, and provide useful insights towards development of tailored HF therapies.

GlycA and GlycB as Inflammatory Markers in Chronic Heart Failure

The role of inflammation in heart failure (HF) has been extensively described, but it is uncertain whether inflammation exerts a different prognostic influence according to etiology. We aimed to examine the inflammatory state in chronic HF by measuring N-acetylglucosamine/galactosamine (GlycA) and sialic acid (GlycB), evolving proton nuclear magnetic resonance biomarkers of systemic inflammation, and explore their prognostic value in patients with chronic HF. The primary end point was a composite of all-cause death and HF readmission. A total of 429 patients were included. GlycB correlated with interleukin-1 receptor-like 1 in the whole cohort (r² = 0.14, p = 0.011) and the subgroup of nonischemic etiology (r² = 0.31, p <0.001). No association was found with New York Heart Association functional class or left ventricular ejection fraction. In patients with nonischemic HF (52.2%, n = 224), GlycA and GlycB exhibited significant association with the composite end point (hazard ratio [HR] 1.19, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.06 to 1.33, p = 0.004 and HR 2.13, 95% CI 1.43 to 3.13, p <0.001; respectively) and GlycB with HF readmission after multivariable adjustment (HR 2.25, 95% CI 1.54 to 3.30, p <0.001). GlycB levels were also associated with a greater risk of HF-related recurrent admissions (adjusted incidence rate ratio 1.33, 95% CI = 1.07 to 1.65, p = 0.009). None of the markers were associated with the clinical end points in patients with ischemic HF. In conclusion, GlycA and GlycB represent an evolving approach to inflammation status with prognostic value in long-term outcomes in patients with nonischemic HF.

The Diabetic Cardiorenal Nexus

The end-stage of the clinical combination of heart failure and kidney disease has become known as cardiorenal syndrome. Adverse consequences related to diabetes, hyperlipidemia, obesity, hypertension and renal impairment on cardiovascular function, morbidity and mortality are well known. Guidelines for the treatment of these risk factors have led to the improved prognosis of patients with coronary artery disease and reduced ejection fraction. Heart failure hospital admissions and readmission often occur, however, in the presence of metabolic, renal dysfunction and relatively preserved systolic function. In this domain, few advances have been described. Diabetes, kidney and cardiac dysfunction act synergistically to magnify healthcare costs. Current therapy relies on improving hemodynamic factors destructive to both the heart and kidney. We consider that additional hemodynamic solutions may be limited without the use of animal models focusing on the cardiomyocyte, nephron and extracellular matrices. We review herein potential common pathophysiologic targets for treatment to prevent and ameliorate this syndrome.

Benefits of SGLT2i for the Treatment of Heart Failure Irrespective of Diabetes Diagnosis: A State-of-the-Art Review

Morbidity and mortality associated with heart failure (HF) has remained high despite advances in therapy. Furthermore, HF-associated risk in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2D) is even higher than in patients without T2D owing to the strong reciprocal relationship between conditions. However, until recently, no therapy to treat patients with diabetes also reduced cardiovascular risks related to HF. Recent clinical studies (DAPA-HF, EMPEROR-Reduced and EMPEROR-Preserved, SOLOIST-WHF trial) and meta-analysis have demonstrated that sodium-glucose cotransporter-2 inhibitors (SGLT2i) are among the first antidiabetic drugs capable of reducing cardiovascular risks related to HF and improving the prognosis of patients with and without diabetes. Their pleiotropic mechanisms of action place them at the intersection of hemodynamic, metabolic, and neurohumoral pathways, with clear advantages for treating these patients independent of its glucose-lowering effect. Moreover, the benefits of SGLT2i were consistent across the cardiorenal continuum in different populations and clinical settings, which has led to different guidelines introducing SGLT2i as a first-line treatment for HF.

Proteomics of the phase angle: Results from the population-based KORA S4 study

BACKGROUND & AIMS

The phase angle (PhA) measured with bioelectrical impedance analysis is considered to reflect the interrelated components body cell mass and fluid distribution based on technical and physical aspects of the PhA measurement. However, the biomedical meaning of the PhA remains vague. Previous studies mainly assessed associations of the PhA with numerous diseases and health outcomes, but few connected protein markers to the PhA. To broaden our understanding of the biomedical background of the PhA, we aimed to explore a proteomics profile associated with the PhA and related biological factors.

METHODS

The study sample encompassed 1484 participants (725 women and 759 men) aged 55-74 years from the population-based Cooperative Health Research in the Region of Augsburg (KORA) S4 study. Proteomics measurements were performed with a proximity extension assay. We employed boosting with stability selection to establish a set of markers that was strongly associated with the PhA from a group of 233 plasma protein markers. We integrated the selected protein markers into a network and enrichment analysis to identify gene ontology (GO) terms significantly overrepresented for the selected PhA protein markers.

RESULTS

Boosting with stability selection identified seven protein markers that were strongly and independently associated with the PhA: N-terminal prohormone brain natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP), insulin-like growth factor-binding protein 2 (IGFBP2), adrenomedullin (ADM), myoglobin (MB), matrix metalloproteinase-9 (MMP9), protein-glutamine gamma-glutamyltransferase 2 (TGM2), and fractalkine (CX3CL1) [beta coefficient per 1 standard deviation increase in normalized protein expression values on a log 2 scale (95% confidence interval): -0.12 (-0.15, -0.08), -0.13 (-0.17, -0.09), -0.14 (-0.18, -0.10), 0.10 (0.07, 0.14), 0.07 (0.04, 0.10), 0.08 (0.05, 0.11), -0.06 (-0.10, -0.03), respectively]. According to the enrichment analysis, this protein profile was significantly overrepresented in the following top five GO terms: positive regulation of cell population proliferation (p-value: 1.32E-04), extracellular space (p-value: 1.34E-04), anatomical structure formation involved in morphogenesis (p-value: 2.92E-04), regulation of multicellular organismal development (p-value: 5.72E-04), and metal ion homeostasis (p-value: 8.86E-04).

CONCLUSION

Implementing a proteomics approach, we identified six new protein markers strongly associated with the PhA and confirmed that NT-proBNP is a key PhA marker. The main biological processes that were related to this PhA's protein profile are involved in regulating the amount and growth of cells, reinforcing, from a biomedical perspective, the current technical-based consensus of the PhA to reflect body cell mass.

Proteomics Reveals Long-Term Alterations in Signaling and Metabolic Pathways Following Both Myocardial Infarction and Chemically Induced Denervation

Myocardial infraction (MI) is the principal risk factor for the onset of heart failure (HF). Investigations regarding the physiopathology of MI progression to HF have revealed the concerted engagement of other tissues, such as the autonomic nervous system and the medulla oblongata (MO), giving rise to systemic effects, important in the regulation of heart function. Cardiac sympathetic afferent denervation following application of resiniferatoxin (RTX) attenuates cardiac remodelling and restores cardiac function following MI. While the physiological responses are well documented in numerous species, the underlying molecular responses during the initiation and progression from MI to HF remains unclear. We obtained multi-tissue time course proteomics with a murine model of HF induced by MI in conjunction with RTX application. We isolated tissue sections from the left ventricle (LV), MO, cervical spinal cord and cervical vagal nerves at four time points over a 12-week study. Bioinformatic analyses consistently revealed a high statistical enrichment for metabolic pathways in all tissues and treatments, implicating a central role of mitochondria in the tissue-cellular response to both MI and RTX. In fact, the additional functional pathways found to be enriched in these tissues, involving the cytoskeleton, vesicles and signal transduction, could be downstream of responses initiated by mitochondria due to changes in neuronal pulse frequency after a shock such as MI or the modification of such frequency communication from the heart to the brain after RTX application. Development of future experiments, based on our proteomic results, should enable the dissection of more precise mechanisms whereby metabolic changes in neuronal and cardiac tissues can effectively ameliorate the negative physiological effects of MI via RTX application.

Increased Capillary Permeability in Heart Induces Diastolic Dysfunction Independently of Inflammation, Fibrosis, or Cardiomyocyte Dysfunction

BACKGROUND

While endothelial dysfunction is suggested to contribute to heart failure with preserved ejection fraction pathophysiology, understanding the importance of the endothelium alone, in the pathogenesis of diastolic abnormalities has not yet been fully elucidated. Here, we investigated the consequences of specific endothelial dysfunction on cardiac function, independently of any comorbidity or risk factor (diabetes or obesity) and their potential effect on cardiomyocyte.

METHODS

The ubiquitine ligase Pdzrn3, expressed in endothelial cells (ECs), was shown to destabilize tight junction. A genetic mouse model in which Pdzrn3 is overexpressed in EC (iEC-Pdzrn3) in adults was developed.

RESULTS

EC-specific Pdzrn3 expression increased cardiac leakage of IgG and fibrinogen blood-born molecules. The induced edema demonstrated features of diastolic dysfunction, with increased end-diastolic pressure, alteration of dP/dt min, increased natriuretic peptides, in addition to limited exercise capacity, without major signs of cardiac fibrosis and inflammation. Electron microscopic images showed edema with disrupted EC-cardiomyocyte interactions. RNA sequencing analysis of gene expression in cardiac EC demonstrated a decrease in genes coding for endothelial extracellular matrix proteins, which could be related to the fragile blood vessel phenotype. Irregularly shaped capillaries with hemorrhages were found in heart sections of iEC-Pdzrn3 mice. We also found that a high-fat diet was not sufficient to provoke diastolic dysfunction; high-fat diet aggravated cardiac inflammation, associated with an altered cardiac metabolic signature in EC-Pdzrn3 mice, reminiscent of heart failure with preserved ejection fraction features.

CONCLUSIONS

An increase of endothelial permeability is responsible for mediating diastolic dysfunction pathophysiology and for aggravating detrimental effects of a high-fat diet on cardiac inflammation and metabolism.

Cardiac remodelling - Part 1: From cells and tissues to circulating biomarkers. A review from the Study Group on Biomarkers of the Heart Failure Association of the European Society of Cardiology

Cardiac remodelling refers to changes in left ventricular structure and function over time, with a progressive deterioration that may lead to heart failure (HF) development (adverse remodelling) or vice versa a recovery (reverse remodelling) in response to HF treatment. Adverse remodelling predicts a worse outcome, whilst reverse remodelling predicts a better prognosis. The geometry, systolic and diastolic function and electric activity of the left ventricle are affected, as well as the left atrium and on the long term even right heart chambers. At a cellular and molecular level, remodelling involves all components of cardiac tissue: cardiomyocytes, fibroblasts, endothelial cells and leucocytes. The molecular, cellular and histological signatures of remodelling may differ according to the cause and severity of cardiac damage, and clearly to the global trend toward worsening or recovery. These processes cannot be routinely evaluated through endomyocardial biopsies, but may be reflected by circulating levels of several biomarkers. Different classes of biomarkers (e.g. proteins, non-coding RNAs, metabolites and/or epigenetic modifications) and several biomarkers of each class might inform on some aspects on HF development, progression and long-term outcomes, but most have failed to enter clinical practice. This may be due to the biological complexity of remodelling, so that no single biomarker could provide great insight on remodelling when assessed alone. Another possible reason is a still incomplete understanding of the role of biomarkers in the pathophysiology of cardiac remodelling. Such role will be investigated in the first part of this review paper on biomarkers of cardiac remodelling.

Inflammation and remodeling pathways and risk of cardiovascular events in patients with ischemic heart failure and reduced ejection fraction

Patients with heart failure (HF) and coronary artery disease (CAD) have a high risk for cardiovascular (CV) events including HF hospitalization, stroke, myocardial infarction (MI) and sudden cardiac death (SCD). The present study evaluated associations of proteomic biomarkers with CV outcome in patients with CAD and HF with reduced ejection fraction (HFrEF), shortly after a worsening HF episode. We performed a case-control study within the COMMANDER HF international, double-blind, randomized placebo-controlled trial investigating the effects of the factor-Xa inhibitor rivaroxaban. Patients with the following first clinical events: HF hospitalization, SCD and the composite of MI or stroke were matched with corresponding controls for age, sex and study drug. Plasma concentrations of 276 proteins with known associations with CV and cardiometabolic mechanisms were analyzed. Results were corrected for multiple testing using false discovery rate (FDR). In 485 cases and 455 controls, 49 proteins were significantly associated with clinical events of which seven had an adjusted FDR < 0.001 (NT-proBNP, BNP, T-cell immunoglobulin and mucin domain containing 4 (TIMD4), fibroblast growth factor 23 (FGF-23), growth differentiation factor-15 (GDF-15), pulmonary surfactant-associated protein D (PSP-D) and Spondin-1 (SPON1)). No significant interactions were identified between the type of clinical event (MI/stroke, SCD or HFH) and specific biomarkers (all interaction FDR > 0.20). When adding the biomarkers significantly associated with the above outcome to a clinical model (including NT-proBNP), the C-index increase was 0.057 (0.033-0.082), p < 0.0001 and the net reclassification index was 54.9 (42.5 to 67.3), p < 0.0001. In patients with HFrEF and CAD following HF hospitalization, we found that NT-proBNP, BNP, TIMD4, FGF-23, GDF-15, PSP-D and SPON1, biomarkers broadly associated with inflammation and remodeling mechanistic pathways, were strong but indiscriminate predictors of a variety of individual CV events.

Epicardial Adipose Tissue related to Left Atrial and Ventricular Function in Heart Failure with Preserved (HFpEF) versus Reduced and Mildly Reduced Ejection Fraction (HFrEF/HFmrEF)

BACKGROUND

Different associations between epicardial adipose tissue (EAT) and cardiac function have been suggested in patients with heart failure with preserved (HFpEF) versus reduced and mildly reduced ejection fraction (HFrEF/HFmrEF). However, few studies have directly compared the association between EAT and left atrial (LA) and ventricular (LV) function in patients with HFpEF and HFrEF/HFmrEF.

METHODS

We studied EAT thickness using transthoracic echocardiography in a multicenter cohort of 149 community-dwelling controls without HF, 99 patients with HFpEF, and 366 patients with HFrEF/HFmrEF. EAT thickness was averaged from parasternal long-axis and short-axis views, respectively, and off-line speckle tracking analysis was performed to quantify LA and LV function. Data were validated in an independent cohort of 626 controls, 243 patients with HFpEF, and 180 patients with HFrEF/HFmrEF. For LV function, LV global longitudinal strain (GLS) was measured in both derivation and validation cohorts. For the LA function, LAGLS at reservoir, contractile and conduit phase were measured in the derivation cohort, and only LAGLS at reservoir phase was measured in the validation cohort.

RESULTS

In the derivation cohort, EAT thickness was lower in HFrEF/HFmrEF (7.3±2.5mm) compared to HFpEF (8.3±2.6mm, p<0.05) and controls (7.9±1.8mm, p<0.05). Greater EAT thickness was associated with better LV and contractile LA function in HFrEF/HFmrEF, but not in HFpEF (p for interaction < 0.05). These findings were confirmed in the validation cohort, where EAT thickness was lower in HFrEF/HFmrEF (6.7±1.4mm) compared to HFpEF (9.6±2.8mm; p<0.05) and controls (7.7±2.3mm; p<0.05). Greater EAT thickness was associated with better LV and reservoir LA function in patients with HFrEF/HFmrEF but worse LV and reservoir LA function in patients with HFpEF (p for interaction <0.05). Thickened EAT (EAT thickness >10mm) was associated with LA dysfunction (LAGLS at reservoir phase<23%) in HFpEF, but not in HFrEF/HFmrEF.

CONCLUSION

EAT thickness is greater in patient with HFpEF than HFrEF/HFmrEF. Increased EAT thickness is associated with worse LA and LV function in HFpEF but the opposite in HFrEF/HFmrEF. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.

Targeting the Metabolic-Inflammatory Circuit in Heart Failure With Preserved Ejection Fraction

PURPOSE OF REVIEW

Heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF) is a leading cause of morbidity and mortality. The current mechanistic paradigm supports a comorbidity-driven systemic proinflammatory state that evokes microvascular and myocardial dysfunction. Crucially, diabetes and obesity are frequently prevalent in HFpEF patients; as such, we review the involvement of a metabolic-inflammatory circuit in disease pathogenesis.

RECENT FINDINGS

Experimental models of diastolic dysfunction and genuine models of HFpEF have facilitated discovery of underlying drivers of HFpEF, where metabolic derangement and systemic inflammation appear to be central components of disease pathophysiology. Despite a shared phenotype among these models, molecular signatures differ depending on type and combination of comorbidities present. Inflammation, oxidative stress, hypertension, and metabolic derangements have been positioned as therapeutic targets to suppress the metabolic-inflammatory circuit in HFpEF. However, the stratification of unique patient phenogroups within the collective HFpEF subgroup argues for specific interventions for distinct phenogroups.

Abdominal Obesity Is Associated with an Increased Risk of All-Cause Mortality in Males but Not in Females with HFpEF

Background. Association between abdominal obesity and development of heart failure (HF) with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF) between the sexes is not completely understood. Objectives. This study evaluated the association between abdominal obesity and the risk of all-cause mortality in patients with HFpEF while performing a gender outcome comparison. Methods. A post hoc analysis was undertaken from the American cohort of the Treatment of Preserved Cardiac Function Heart Failure with an Aldosterone Antagonist (TOPCAT). The primary outcome (all-cause mortality) and the secondary outcomes (cardiovascular mortality, hospitalization for HF, stroke, and MI) were evaluated via Cox proportional hazards models to compare the hazard ratios (HRs) between sexes in HFpEF patients. Abdominal obesity was defined as a waist circumference of ≥102 cm in men and ≥88 cm in women. Results. A total of 3320 HFpEF patients (1620 men [48.80%] and 1700 women [51.20%]) were included in the analysis. The mean follow-up period was $3.4\pm 1.7$ years, with 503 patients dying during that time. After multivariable adjustment, abdominal obesity was significantly associated with an increased risk of all-cause mortality in males (adjusted HR: 1.32; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.02 to 1.71; $p=0.038$ ). Abdominal obesity was associated with hospitalization for HF in both male (adjusted HR: 1.39; 95% CI: 1.01 to 1.93; $p=0.045$ ) and female patients (adjusted HR: 1.15; 95% CI: 1.18 to 3.28; $p=0.010$ ). Conclusions. Abdominal obesity is associated with increased risks of all-cause mortality in the male but not the female HFpEF population and is associated with increased risks of hospitalization for HF in both sexes.

Influence of ejection fraction on biomarker expression and response to spironolactone in people at risk of heart failure: findings from the HOMAGE trial

BACKGROUND

Left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) can provide hemodynamic information and may influence the response to spironolactone and other heart failure (HF) therapies.

AIMS

To study the patient characteristics and circulating protein associations with LVEF, and whether LVEF influenced the response to spironolactone.

METHODS

HOMAGE enrolled patients aged >60 years at high risk of developing HF with a LVEF ≥45%. 527 patients were randomized to either spironolactone or standard-of-care for ≈9 months. 276 circulating proteins were measured using Olink® technology.

RESULTS

364 patients had available LVEF determined by the Simpson's bi-plane method. The respective LVEF tertiles were: Tertile1:<60% (N = 122), Tertile2:60%-65% (N = 121), and Tertile3:>65% (N = 121). Patients with a LVEF>65% had smaller LV chamber size and volumes, and lower natriuretic peptide levels. Compared to patients with a LVEF<60%, those with LVEF>65% had higher levels of circulating c-c motif chemokine ligand-23 and interleukin-8, and lower levels of tissue plasminogen activator, BNP, S100 calcium binding protein A12, and collagen type I alpha 1 chain (COL1A1). Spironolactone significantly reduced the circulating levels of BNP and COL1A1 without significant treatment-by-LVEF heterogeneity: BNP change β = -0.36 Log₂ and COL1A1 change β = -0.16 Log₂ (P < 0.0001 for both; interactionP>0.1 for both). Spironolactone increased LVEF from baseline to month 9 by 1.1%, P = 0.007.

CONCLUSION

Patients with higher LVEF had higher circulating levels of chemokines and inflammatory markers and lower levels of stretch, injury, and fibrosis markers. Spironolactone reduced the circulating levels of natriuretic peptides and type 1 collagen, and increased LVEF. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.

Role of Distinct Macrophage Populations in the Development of Heart Failure in Macrophage Activation Syndrome

Macrophage activation syndrome (MAS) is one of the few entities in rheumatology with the potential to quickly cause multiple organ failure and loss of life, and as such, requires urgent clinical intervention. It has a broad symptomatology, depending on the organs it affects. One especially dangerous aspect of MAS’s course of illness is myocarditis leading to acute heart failure and possibly death. Research in recent years has proved that macrophages settled in different organs are not a homogenous group, with particular populations differing in both structure and function. Within the heart, we can determine two major groups, based on the presence of the C-C 2 chemokine receptor (CCR2): CCR2+ and CCR2−. There are a number of studies describing their function and the changes in the population makeup between normal conditions and different illnesses; however, to our knowledge, there has not been one touching on the matter of changes occurring in the populations of heart macrophages during MAS and their possible consequences. This review summarizes the most recent knowledge on heart macrophages, the influence of select cytokines (those particularly significant in the development of MAS) on their activity, and both the immediate and long-term consequences of changes in the makeup of specific macrophage populations—especially the loss of CCR2− cells that are responsible for regenerative processes, as well as the substitution of tissue macrophages by the highly proinflammatory CCR2+ macrophages originating from circulating monocytes. Understanding the significance of these processes may lead to new discoveries that could improve the therapeutic methods in the treatment of MAS.

HMGB1‐Promoted Neutrophil Extracellular Traps Contribute to Cardiac Diastolic Dysfunction in Mice

Background

Heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF) remains an increasing public health problem with substantial morbidity and mortality but with few effective treatments. A novel inflammatory mechanism has been proposed, but the inflammatory signals promoting the development of HFpEF remain greatly unknown.

Methods and Results

Serum of patients with HFpEF was collected for measurement of circulating neutrophils and markers of neutrophil extracellular traps (NETs). To induce HFpEF phenotype, male C57BL/6 mice underwent uninephrectomy, received a continuous infusion of d‐aldosterone for 4 weeks, and maintained on 1.0% sodium chloride drinking water. Heart tissues were harvested, immune cell types determined by flow cytometry, NETs formation by immunofluorescence, and western blotting. Differentiated neutrophils were cultured to investigate the effect of HMGB1 (high mobility group protein B1) and SGLT2 (sodium‐glucose cotransporter‐2) inhibitor on NETs formation in vitro. Circulating neutrophils and NETs markers are elevated in patients with HFpEF, as are cardiac neutrophils and NETs formation in HFpEF mice. NETs inhibition with deoxyribonuclease 1 in experimental HFpEF mice reduces heart macrophages infiltration and inflammation and ameliorates cardiac fibrosis and diastolic function. Damage‐associated molecular pattern HMGB1 expression is elevated in cardiac tissue of HFpEF mice, and HMGB1 inhibition reduces heart neutrophil infiltration and NETs formation and ameliorates diastolic function. Lastly, SGLT2 inhibitor empagliflozin down‐regulates heart HMGB1 expression, attenuates NETs formation and cardiac fibrosis, and improves diastolic function in HFpEF mice.

Conclusions

NETs contribute to the pathogenesis of HFpEF, which can be ameliorated by HMGB1 inhibition and SGLT2 inhibitors. Thus, HMGB1 and NETs may represent novel therapeutic targets for the treatment of HFpEF.

Effect of sodium-glucose cotransporter-2 inhibitors on cardiac remodelling: a systematic review and meta-analysis

AIMS

To examine the effects of sodium-glucose cotransporter-2 inhibitors (SGLT2i) on cardiac remodelling in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) and/or heart failure (HF), and to explore the subsets of patients who may have greater benefit from SGLT2i therapy.

METHODS AND RESULTS

Four electronic databases were searched for randomized controlled trials (RCTs) that evaluated the effects of SGLT2i on parameters reflecting cardiac remodelling in patients with T2DM and/or HF. Standardized mean differences (SMDs) or mean differences (MDs) were pooled. Subgroup analyses were performed according to the baseline HF and T2DM, HF type, SGLT2i agent, follow-up duration, and imaging modality. A total of 13 RCTs involving 1251 patients were analysed. Sodium-glucose cotransporter-2 inhibitors treatment significantly improved left ventricular (LV) ejection fraction [SMD, 0.35; 95% confidence interval (CI) (0.04, 0.65); P = 0.03], LV mass [SMD, -0.48; 95% CI (-0.79, -0.18); P = 0.002], LV mass index [SMD, -0.27; 95% CI (-0.49, -0.05); P = 0.02], LV end-systolic volume [SMD, -0.37; 95% CI (-0.71; -0.04); P = 0.03], LV end-systolic volume index [MD, -0.35 mL/m2; 95% CI (-0.64, -0.05); P = 0.02], and E-wave deceleration time [SMD, -0.37; 95% CI (-0.70, -0.05); P = 0.02] in the overall population. Subgroup analyses showed that the favourable effects of SGLT2i on LV remodelling were only significant in HF patients, especially HF with reduced ejection fraction (HFrEF), regardless of glycaemic status. Among the four included SGLT2i, empagliflozin was associated with a greater improvement of LV mass, LV mass index, LV end-systolic volume, LV end-systolic volume index, LV end-diastolic volume, and LV end-diastolic volume index (all P < 0.05).

CONCLUSIONS

Sodium-glucose cotransporter-2 inhibitors treatment significantly reversed cardiac remodelling, improving LV systolic and diastolic function, LV mass and volume, especially in patients with HFrEF and amongst those taking empagliflozin compared with other SGLT2i. Reversed remodelling may be a mechanism responsible for the favourable clinical effects of SGLT2i on HF.

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

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

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

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

Prognostic Value of Multiple Circulating Biomarkers for 2-Year Death in Acute Heart Failure With Preserved Ejection Fraction

Background: Heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF) is increasingly recognized as a major global public health burden and lacks effective risk stratification. We aimed to assess a multi-biomarker model in improving risk prediction in HFpEF.

Methods: We analyzed 18 biomarkers from the main pathophysiological domains of HF in 380 patients hospitalized for HFpEF from a prospective cohort. The association between these biomarkers and 2-year risk of all-cause death was assessed by Cox proportional hazards model. Support vector machine (SVM), a supervised machine learning method, was used to develop a prediction model of 2-year all-cause and cardiovascular death using a combination of 18 biomarkers and clinical indicators. The improvement of this model was evaluated by c-statistics, net reclassification improvement (NRI), and integrated discrimination improvement (IDI).

Results: The median age of patients was 71-years, and 50.5% were female. Multiple biomarkers independently predicted the 2-year risk of death in Cox regression model, including N-terminal pro B-type brain-type natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP), high-sensitivity cardiac troponin T (hs-TnT), growth differentiation factor-15 (GDF-15), tumor necrosis factor-α (TNFα), endoglin, and 3 biomarkers of extracellular matrix turnover [tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinases (TIMP)-1, matrix metalloproteinase (MMP)-2, and MMP-9) (FDR < 0.05). The SVM model effectively predicted the 2-year risk of all-cause death in patients with acute HFpEF in training set (AUC 0.834, 95% CI: 0.771–0.895) and validation set (AUC 0.798, 95% CI: 0.719–0.877). The NRI and IDI indicated that the SVM model significantly improved patient classification compared to the reference model in both sets (p < 0.05).

Conclusions: Multiple circulating biomarkers coupled with an appropriate machine-learning method could effectively predict the risk of long-term mortality in patients with acute HFpEF. It is a promising strategy for improving risk stratification in HFpEF.

Depressive Symptoms, Cardiac Structure and Function, and Risk of Incident Heart Failure With Preserved Ejection Fraction and Heart Failure With Reduced Ejection Fraction in Late Life

Background Depressive symptoms are associated with heightened risk of heart failure (HF), but their association with cardiac function and with HF with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF) and HF with reduced ejection fraction (HFrEF) in late life is unclear. We aimed to determine the prevalence of depression in HFpEF and in HFrEF in late life, and the association of depressive symptoms with cardiac function and incident HFpEF and HFrEF. Methods and Results We studied 6025 participants (age, 75.3±5.1 years; 59% women; 20% Black race) in the ARIC (Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities) study at visit 5 who underwent echocardiography and completed the Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale questionnaire. Among HF-free participants (n=5086), associations of Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale score with echocardiography and incident adjudicated HFpEF and HFrEF were assessed using multivariable linear and Cox proportional hazards regression. Prevalent HFpEF, but not HFrEF, was associated with a higher prevalence of depression compared with HF-free participants (P<0.001 and P=0.59, respectively). Among HF-free participants, Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale score was not associated with cardiac structure and function after adjusting for demographics and comorbidities (all P>0.05). Over 5.5-year follow-up, higher Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale score was associated with heightened risk of incident HFpEF (hazard ratio [HR] [95% CI], 1.06 [1.04-1.12]; P=0.02), but not HFrEF (HR [95% CI], 1.02 [0.96-1.08]; P=0.54), independent of echocardiographic measures, NT-proBNP (N-terminal pro-B-type natriuretic peptide), troponin, and hs-CRP (high-sensitivity C-reactive protein) (HR [95% CI], 1.06 [1.00-1.12]; P=0.04). Conclusions Worse depressive symptoms predict incident HFpEF in late life, independent of common comorbidities, cardiac structure and function, and prognostic biomarkers. Further studies are necessary to understand the mechanisms linking depression to risk of HFpEF.

Mid- to Late-Life Inflammation and Risk of Cardiac Dysfunction, HFpEF and HFrEF in Late Life

BACKGROUND

Epidemiologic data supporting the association of accumulated inflammation from mid- to late life with late-life risk of cardiac dysfunction and heart failure (HF) is limited.

METHODS AND RESULTS

Among 4011 participants in the Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities study who were free of prevalent cardiovascular disease at study Visit 5, accumulated inflammation was defined as time-averaged high-sensitivity c-reactive protein (hsCRP) over 3 visits spanning 1990 to 2013. Associations with left ventricular (LV) function at Visit 5 and with incident adjudicated HF post Visit 5 were assessed using linear and Cox regression, adjusting for demographics and comorbidities. Higher accumulated hsCRP was associated with greater LV mass index, lower e', higher E/e', and higher adjusting for demographics (all P ≤0.01), but only with higher pulmonary artery systolic pressure after adjustment for comorbidities (P = 0.024). At 5.3 ± 1.2 year follow-up, higher accumulated hsCRP was associated with greater risk of incident HF (HR 1.31 [95% CI 1.18-1.47], P < 0.001), HFrEF (1.26 [1.05-1.52], P = 0.01), and HFpEF (1.30 [1.11-1.53], P = 0.001) in demographic-adjusted models, but not after adjustment for comorbidities (all P > 0.10). Only Visit 5 hsCRP remained associated with incident HF (1.12 [1.02-1.24], P = 0.02) after full adjustment.

CONCLUSIONS

Greater accumulated inflammation is associated with worse LV function and heightened HF risk in late-life. These relationships are attenuated after adjusting for HF risk factors.

Novel multi-marker proteomics in phenotypically matched patients with ST-segment myocardial infarction: association with clinical outcomes

Early prediction of significant morbidity or mortality in patients with acute ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) represents an unmet clinical need. In phenotypically matched population of 139 STEMI patients (72 cases, 67 controls) treated with primary percutaneous coronary intervention, we explored associations between a 24-h relative change from baseline in the concentration of 91 novel biomarkers and the composite outcome of death, heart failure, or shock within 90 days. Additionally, we used random forest models to predict the 90-day outcomes. After adjustment for false discovery rate, the 90-day composite was significantly associated with concentration changes in 14 biomarkers involved in various pathophysiologic processes including: myocardial fibrosis/remodeling (collagen alpha-1, cathepsin Z, metalloproteinase inhibitor 4, protein tyrosine phosphatase subunits), inflammation, angiogenesis and signaling (interleukin 1 and 2 subunits, growth differentiation factor 15, galectin 4, trefoil factor 3), bone/mineral metabolism (osteoprotegerin, matrix extracellular phosphoglycoprotein and tartrate-resistant acid phosphatase), thrombosis (tissue factor pathway inhibitor) and cholesterol metabolism (LDL-receptor). Random forest models suggested an independent association when inflammatory markers are included in models predicting the outcomes within 90 days. Substantial heterogeneity is apparent in the early proteomic responses among patients with acutely reperfused STEMI patients who develop death, heart failure or shock within 90 days. These findings suggest the need to consider synergistic multi-biomarker strategies for risk stratification and to inform future development of novel post-myocardial infarction therapies.

Pathophysiological pathways in patients with heart failure and atrial fibrillation

Aims

Atrial fibrillation (AF) and heart failure (HF) are two growing epidemics that frequently co-exist. We aimed to gain insights into the underlying pathophysiological pathways in HF patients with AF by comparing circulating biomarkers using pathway overrepresentation analyses.

Methods and results

From a panel of 92 biomarkers from different pathophysiological domains available in 1620 patients with HF, we first tested which biomarkers were dysregulated in patients with HF and AF (n = 648) compared with patients in sinus rhythm (n = 972). Secondly, pathway overrepresentation analyses were performed to identify biological pathways linked to higher plasma concentrations of biomarkers in patients who had HF and AF. Findings were validated in an independent HF cohort (n = 1219, 38% with AF). Patient with AF and HF were older, less often women, and less often had a history of coronary artery disease compared with those in sinus rhythm. In the index cohort, 24 biomarkers were up-regulated in patients with AF and HF. In the validation cohort, eight biomarkers were up-regulated, which all overlapped with the 24 biomarkers found in the index cohort. The strongest up-regulated biomarkers in patients with AF were spondin-1 (fold change 1.18, P = 1.33 × 10⁻¹²), insulin-like growth factor-binding protein-1 (fold change 1.32, P = 1.08 × 10⁻⁸), and insulin-like growth factor-binding protein-7 (fold change 1.33, P = 1.35 × 10⁻¹⁸). Pathway overrepresentation analyses revealed that the presence of AF was associated with activation amyloid-beta metabolic processes, amyloid-beta formation, and amyloid precursor protein catabolic processes with a remarkable consistency observed in the validation cohort.

Conclusion

In two independent cohorts of patients with HF, the presence of AF was associated with activation of three pathways related to amyloid-beta. These hypothesis-generating results warrant confirmation in future studies.

Inflammation in Metabolic Cardiomyopathy

Overlapping pandemics of lifestyle-related diseases pose a substantial threat to cardiovascular health. Apart from coronary artery disease, metabolic disturbances linked to obesity, insulin resistance and diabetes directly compromise myocardial structure and function through independent and shared mechanisms heavily involving inflammatory signals. Accumulating evidence indicates that metabolic dysregulation causes systemic inflammation, which in turn aggravates cardiovascular disease. Indeed, elevated systemic levels of pro-inflammatory cytokines and metabolic substrates induce an inflammatory state in different cardiac cells and lead to subcellular alterations thereby promoting maladaptive myocardial remodeling. At the cellular level, inflammation-induced oxidative stress, mitochondrial dysfunction, impaired calcium handling, and lipotoxicity contribute to cardiomyocyte hypertrophy and dysfunction, extracellular matrix accumulation and microvascular disease. In cardiometabolic patients, myocardial inflammation is maintained by innate immune cell activation mediated by pattern recognition receptors such as Toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4) and downstream activation of the NLRP3 inflammasome and NF-κB-dependent pathways. Chronic low-grade inflammation progressively alters metabolic processes in the heart, leading to a metabolic cardiomyopathy (MC) phenotype and eventually to heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF). In accordance with preclinical data, observational studies consistently showed increased inflammatory markers and cardiometabolic features in patients with HFpEF. Future treatment approaches of MC may target inflammatory mediators as they are closely intertwined with cardiac nutrient metabolism. Here, we review current evidence on inflammatory processes involved in the development of MC and provide an overview of nutrient and cytokine-driven pro-inflammatory effects stratified by cell type.

Rationale and design of the preserved versus reduced ejection fraction biomarker registry and precision medicine database for ambulatory patients with heart failure (PREFER-HF) study

INTRODUCTION

Patients with heart failure (HF) are classically categorised by left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF). Efforts to predict outcomes and response to specific therapy among LVEF-based groups may be suboptimal, in part due to the underlying heterogeneity within clinical HF phenotypes. A multidimensional characterisation of ambulatory patients with and without HF across LVEF groups is needed to better understand and manage patients with HF in a more precise manner.

METHODS AND ANALYSIS

To date, the first cohort of 1313 out of total planned 3000 patients with and without HF has been enroled in this single-centre, longitudinal observational cohort study. Baseline and 1-year follow-up blood samples and clinical characteristics, the presence and duration of comorbidities, serial laboratory, echocardiographic data and images and therapy information will be obtained. HF diagnosis, aetiology of disease, symptom onset and clinical outcomes at 1 and 5 years will be adjudicated by a team of clinicians. Clinical outcomes of interest include all-cause mortality, cardiovascular mortality, all-cause hospitalisation, cardiovascular hospitalisation, HF hospitalisation, right-sided HF and acute kidney injury. Results from the Preserved versus Reduced Ejection Fraction Biomarker Registry and Precision Medicine Database for Ambulatory Patients with Heart Failure (PREFER-HF) trial will examine longitudinal clinical characteristics, proteomic, metabolomic, genomic and imaging data to better understand HF phenotypes, with the ultimate goal of improving precision medicine and clinical outcomes for patients with HF.

ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION

Information gathered in this research will be published in peer-reviewed journals. Written informed consent for PREFER-HF was obtained from all participants. All study procedures were approved by the Mass General Brigham Institutional Review Board in Boston, Massachusetts and performed in accordance with the Declaration of Helsinki (Protocol Number: 2016P000339).

TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER

PREFER-HF ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT03480633.

Plasma Biomarker Profiling in Heart Failure Patients with Preserved Ejection Fraction before and after Spironolactone Treatment: Results from the Aldo-DHF Trial

The pathophysiology of heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF) is poorly understood and therapeutic strategies are lacking. This study aimed to identify plasma proteins with pathophysiological relevance in HFpEF and with respect to spironolactone-induced effects. We assessed 92 biomarkers in plasma samples from 386 HFpEF patients—belonging to the Aldo-DHF trial—before (baseline, BL) and after one-year treatment (follow up, FU) with spironolactone (verum) or a placebo. At BL, various biomarkers showed significant associations with the two Aldo-DHF primary end point parameters: 33 with E/e’ and 20 with peak VO₂. Ten proteins including adrenomedullin, FGF23 and inflammatory peptides (e.g., TNFRSF11A, TRAILR2) were significantly associated with both parameters, suggesting a role in the clinical HFpEF presentation. For 13 proteins, expression changes from BL to FU were significantly different between verum and placebo. Among them were renin, growth hormone, adrenomedullin and inflammatory proteins (e.g., TNFRSF11A, IL18 and IL4RA), indicating distinct spironolactone-mediated effects. BL levels of five proteins, e.g., inflammatory markers such as CCL17, IL4RA and IL1ra, showed significantly different effects on the instantaneous risk for hospitalization between verum and placebo. This study identified plasma proteins with different implications in HFpEF and following spironolactone treatment. Future studies need to define their precise mechanistic involvement.

Could a Multi-Marker and Machine Learning Approach Help Stratify Patients with Heart Failure?

Half of the patients with heart failure (HF) have preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF). To date, there are no specific markers to distinguish this subgroup. The main objective of this work was to stratify HF patients using current biochemical markers coupled with clinical data. The cohort study included HFpEF (n = 24) and heart failure with reduced ejection fraction (HFrEF) (n = 34) patients as usually considered in clinical practice based on cardiac imaging (EF ≥ 50% for HFpEF; EF < 50% for HFrEF). Routine blood tests consisted of measuring biomarkers of renal and heart functions, inflammation, and iron metabolism. A multi-test approach and analysis of peripheral blood samples aimed to establish a computerized Machine Learning strategy to provide a blood signature to distinguish HFpEF and HFrEF. Based on logistic regression, demographic characteristics and clinical biomarkers showed no statistical significance to differentiate the HFpEF and HFrEF patient subgroups. Hence a multivariate factorial discriminant analysis, performed blindly using the data set, allowed us to stratify the two HF groups. Consequently, a Machine Learning (ML) strategy was developed using the same variables in a genetic algorithm approach. ML provided very encouraging explorative results when considering the small size of the samples applied. The accuracy and the sensitivity were high for both validation and test groups (69% and 100%, 64% and 75%, respectively). Sensitivity was 100% for the validation and 75% for the test group, whereas specificity was 44% and 55% for the validation and test groups because of the small number of samples. Lastly, the precision was acceptable, with 58% in the validation and 60% in the test group. Combining biochemical and clinical markers is an excellent entry to develop a computer classification tool to diagnose HFpEF. This translational approach is a springboard for improving new personalized treatment methods and identifying “high-yield” populations for clinical trials.

Machine Learning-Derived Echocardiographic Phenotypes Predict Heart Failure Incidence in Asymptomatic Individuals

OBJECTIVES

This study sought to identify homogenous echocardiographic phenotypes in community-based cohorts and assess their association with outcomes.

BACKGROUND

Asymptomatic cardiac dysfunction leads to a high risk of long-term cardiovascular morbidity and mortality; however, better echocardiographic classification of asymptomatic individuals remains a challenge.

METHODS

Echocardiographic phenotypes were identified using K-means clustering in the first generation of the STANISLAS (Yearly non-invasive follow-up of Health status of Lorraine insured inhabitants) cohort (N = 827; mean age: 60 ± 5 years; men: 48%), and their associations with vascular function and circulating biomarkers were also assessed. These phenotypes were externally validated in the Malmö Preventive Project cohort (N = 1,394; mean age: 67 ± 6 years; men: 70%), and their associations with the composite of cardiovascular mortality (CVM) or heart failure hospitalization (HFH) were assessed as well.

RESULTS

Three echocardiographic phenotypes were identified as "mostly normal (MN)" (n = 334), "diastolic changes (D)" (n = 323), and "diastolic changes with structural remodeling (D/S)" (n = 170). The D and D/S phenotypes had similar ages, body mass indices, cardiovascular risk factors, vascular impairments, and diastolic function changes. The D phenotype consisted mainly of women and featured increased levels of inflammatory biomarkers, whereas the D/S phenotype, consisted predominantly of men, displayed the highest values of left ventricular mass, volume, and remodeling biomarkers. The phenotypes were predicted based on a simple algorithm including e', left ventricular mass and volume (e'VM algorithm). In the Malmö cohort, subgroups derived from e'VM algorithm were significantly associated with a higher risk of CVM and HFH (adjusted HR in the D phenotype = 1.87; 95% CI: 1.04 to 3.37; adjusted HR in the D/S phenotype = 3.02; 95% CI: 1.71 to 5.34).

CONCLUSIONS

Among asymptomatic, middle-aged individuals, echocardiographic data-driven classification based on the simple e'VM algorithm identified profiles with different long-term HF risk. (4th Visit at 17 Years of Cohort STANISLAS-Stanislas Ancillary Study ESCIF [STANISLASV4]; NCT01391442).

Hepatocyte Growth Factor and Incident Heart Failure Subtypes: The Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis (MESA)

BACKGROUND

Hepatocyte growth factor (HGF) is a cytokine and marker of cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk. Less is known about HGF and incident heart failure (HF). We examined the association of HGF with incident HF and its subtypes in a multiethnic cohort.

METHODS AND RESULTS

We included 6597 participants of the Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis (MESA) cohort, free of clinical CVD and HF at baseline, with HGF measured at baseline. Incident hospitalized HF was assessed and adjudicated for HF with preserved ejection fracture (HFpEF) vs HF with reduced ejection fraction (HFrEF). Cox regression models estimated hazard ratios (HR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) for HF risk by HGF levels, adjusted for socio-demographics, CVD risk factors and N-terminal pro-B-type natriuretic peptide. The mean age was 62 ± 10 years. The median HGF level was 950 pg/mL (interquartile range, 758-1086 pg/mL); 53% were women. Over 14 years (IQR, 11.5-14.7 years), there were 324 cases of HF (133 HFpEF and 157 HFrEF). For the highest HGF tertile compared with lowest, adjusted HRs were 1.59 (95% CI, 1.10-2.31), 1.90 (95% CI, 1.03-3.51), and 1.09 (95% CI, 0.65-1.82) for overall HF, HFpEF, and HFrEF, respectively. For continuous analysis per 1-standard deviation log-transformed HGF, adjusted HRs were 1.22 (95% CI, 1.06-1.41), 1.35 (95% CI, 1.09-1.69), and 1.00 (95% CI, 0.81-1.24) for HF, HFpEF, and HFrEF, respectively.

CONCLUSIONS

HGF was independently associated with incident HF. HGF remained significantly associated with HFpEF but not HFrEF upon subtype assessment. Future studies should examine the mechanisms underlying these associations and evaluate whether HGF can be used to improve HF risk prediction or direct therapy.

Multiple roles of cardiac macrophages in heart homeostasis and failure

Macrophages are essential components of the immune system and play a role in the normal functioning of the cardiovascular system. Depending on their origin and phenotype, cardiac macrophages perform various functions. In a steady-state, these cells play a beneficial role in maintaining cardiac homeostasis by defending the body from pathogens and eliminating apoptotic cells, participating in electrical conduction, vessel patrolling, and arterial tone regulation. However, macrophages also take part in adverse cardiac remodeling that could lead to the development and progression of heart failure (HF) in such HF comorbidities as hypertension, obesity, diabetes, and myocardial infarction. Nevertheless, studies on detailed mechanisms of cardiac macrophage function are still in progress, and could enable potential therapeutic applications of these cells. This review aims to present the latest reports on the origin, heterogeneity, and functions of cardiac macrophages in the healthy heart and in cardiovascular diseases leading to HF. The potential therapeutic use of macrophages is also briefly discussed.