Clinical Predictors of Hepatic Fibrosis in Chronic Advanced Heart Failure

Congestive hepatopathy and hypoxic hepatitis in heart failure: a cardiologist's point of view

In the setting of long-standing severe chronic heart failure, other organ systems are also involved. The liver is one of the organs that are very sensitive to haemodynamic changes. Differential diagnosis of the liver injury is extremely important in the cardiologist's clinical practice and calls for cardiologist's and hepatologist's collaboration because there are many other diseases that can affect the liver and mimic haemodynamic injury. In this article, liver injuries depending on cardiocirculatory dysfunction such as hypoxic hepatitis and congestive hepatopathy are analysed. The material in the article is presented in two aspects: the evaluation and treatment of heart failure in order to prevent pathologic processes in the liver, and the recognition of the liver injury, including diagnostic tests which are essential for differential diagnosis of different liver pathologies.

Impact of heart failure and changes to volume status on liver stiffness: non-invasive assessment using transient elastography

AIM

The impact of cardiac dysfunction on the liver is known as cardiac hepatopathy. In certain instances this can result in significant hepatic fibrosis or cirrhosis. The validity of non-invasive tools to assess hepatic fibrosis, such as FibroScan(®) which measures liver stiffness (LSM), has not been established in this setting. We examined the impact of cardiac dysfunction on LSM using FibroScan(®) and the influence of volume changes on LSM.

METHODS AND RESULTS

A prospective, cross-sectional study examined the use of FibroScan(®) in subjects with left-sided heart failure (LHF, n = 32), right-sided heart failure (RHF, n = 9), and acute decompensated heart failure (ADHF, n = 8). The impact of volume changes upon LSM was further examined in the ADHF group (pre- and post-diuresis) and in a haemodialysis group (HD, n = 12), pre- and post-ultrafiltration on dialysis. Compared with healthy controls [n = 55, LSM = median 4.4 (25th percentile 3.6, 75th percentile 5.1) kPa], LSM was increased in all the cardiac dysfunction subgroups [LHF, 4.7 (4.0, 8.7) kPa, P = 0.04; RHF, 9.7 (5.0, 10.8) kPa, P < 0.001; ADHF, 11.2 (6.7, 14.3) kPa, P < 0.001]. Alteration in volume status via diuresis did not change the baseline LSM in ADHF [11.2 (6.7, 14.3) to 9.5 (7.3, 21.6) kPa, P > 0.05] with mean diuresis 5051 ± 1585 mL, or ultrafiltration in HD [6.0 (3.6, 5.1) vs. 5.7 (4.8, 7.0) kPa, P > 0.05] with mean diuresis 1962 ± 233 mL.

CONCLUSION

Our findings support the concept of increased LSM in the cardiac failure population. LSM was not altered to a statistically significant level with acute volume changes.

Cardiovascular diseases and the liver

The dual blood supply of the liver, originating from the portal vein and the hepatic artery, makes it relatively resistant to minor circulatory disturbances. However, hepatic manifestations of common cardiovascular disorders are frequently encountered in both the inpatient and outpatient setting. Beginning with the macro- and microcirculation of the liver, this article reviews the pathophysiology of hepatic blood flow and gives a detailed appraisal of ischemic hepatitis, congestive hepatopathy, and other less common hepatic conditions that arise when cardiovascular function is impaired.

Liver diseases in heart failure

Heart failure (HF) is a growing public health concern as a consequence of the ageing of the population and the improved survival of patients with HF. HF is defined as impaired organ perfusion and/or high filling pressure. It is a systemic and chronic disease and as such involves many organs, not least the liver and kidney. The complex vascular system of the liver and its high metabolic activity render it vulnerable to circulation disturbances and trigger many molecular and haemodynamic changes in patients. There are many studies describing the impact of liver disease on patient outcomes. Hepatic dysfunction is commonly seen in HF patients and is closely correlated with a poor outcome. Knowledge about the mechanisms and impacts of liver disease in HF helps us to know the stage of the disease and treat it properly. Moreover, many drugs and toxins that are metabolised in the liver and contribute to drug interactions should also be taken into account when prescribing medication for HF patients. In light of the above-mentioned points, the authors have compiled this review on congestive hepatopathy with the aim of providing physicians and cardiologists with a succinct and useful guide on the role of the liver in HF.