Quality of life in patients with heart failure and improved ejection fraction: one-year changes and prognosis

Recurrence of left ventricular systolic dysfunction and its risk factors in heart failure with improved ejection fraction patients receiving guideline-directed medical therapy: A trajectory analysis based on echocardiography

BACKGROUND

Despite the better prognosis of heart failure (HF) with improved ejection fraction (HFimpEF), remnant cardiovascular risks, including cardiovascular death, rehospitalization, and future deterioration of left ventricular (LV) systolic function, remain in HFimpEF. However, for HFimpEF patients, especially for those receiving guideline-directed medical therapy (GDMT), the recurrent LV systolic dysfunction and its risk factors is still unclear.

METHODS

A total of 1098 HF patients under HF follow-up management system were initially screened. Echocardiography was re-evaluated at 3-, 6-, and 12-month follow-up. After exclusion, a total of 203 HFimpEF patients on GDMT were enrolled in our final analysis. Cox regression analysis was conducted to select risk factors.

RESULTS

During the 1-year follow-up, a total of 28 (13.8%) patients had recurrent LV systolic dysfunction. The trajectory analysis of echocardiographic parameters illustrated that persistent decline of left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) and worsening LV remodeling was observed in patients with recurrent LV systolic dysfunction. Multivariable Cox regression analysis identified that ischemic cardiomyopathy, atrial fibrillation, higher left ventricular end-diastolic diameter index (LVEDDI), elevated serum potassium, and a lack of sodium-glucose co-transporter-2 inhibitors (SGLT2i) treatment were confirmed as independent risk factors for recurrent LV systolic dysfunction. Recurrent LV systolic dysfunction was associated with higher rehospitalization rate.

CONCLUSION

In our longitudinal cohort study, almost 14% HFimpEF receiving GDMT suffered recurrent LV systolic dysfunction. Ischemic cardiomyopathy, atrial fibrillation, higher LVEDDI, higher serum potassium, and a lack of SGLT2i therapy were tightly associated with recurrence of LV systolic dysfunction. Relapse of LV systolic dysfunction correlated with poor prognosis.

Incidence and predictors of heart failure with improved ejection fraction category in a HFrEF patient population

AIMS

The aim of the study was to assess the incidence and predictive factors of the development of heart failure with improved ejection fraction (HFimpEF) category during a 1 year follow-up period in a heart failure with reduced ejection fraction (HFrEF) patient population managed in a heart failure outpatient clinic.

METHODS AND RESULTS

The study evaluated data from patients enrolled in the Hungarian Heart Failure Registry (HHFR). The incidence and predictive factors of the development of the HFimpEF category after 1 year follow-up were assessed in the group of patients who had HFrEF at baseline. We evaluated the incidence and predictors of the development of HFimpEF after a 1 year follow-up in relation to time since diagnosis of HFrEF in patients diagnosed within 3 months, between 3 months and 1 year, and beyond 1 year. The predictive factors of the development of HFimpEF were analysed using univariate and multivariate logistic regression analysis. Of the 833 HFrEF patients enrolled in the HHFR, the development of HFimpEF was observed in 162 patients (19.5%) during 1 year follow-up. In the whole patient population, independent predictors of the development of HFimpEF were female gender [odds ratio (OR): 1.73; 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.01-2.96; P < 0.05], non-ischaemic aetiology (OR: 1.95; 95% CI: 1.15-3.30; P < 0.05), and left ventricular end-diastolic diameter (LVEDD) <60 mm (OR: 2.04; 95% CI: 1.18-3.51; P < 0.05). The 1 year incidence of HFimpEF decreased in relation to time since diagnosis of HFrEF. The incidence of HFimpEF was 27.1% in patients diagnosed within 3 months, 18.4% in patients diagnosed between 3 months and 1 year, and 12.2% in patients diagnosed beyond 1 year. Non-ischaemic aetiology (OR: 4.76; 95% CI: 1.83-12.4; P < 0.01) and QRS width (OR: 0.81; 95% CI: 0.71-0.94; P < 0.01) for patients diagnosed within 3 months, LVEDD (OR: 0.54; 95% CI: 0.32-0.90; P < 0.05) and left atrial diameter ≤45 mm (OR: 5.44; 95% CI: 1.45-20.4; P < 0.05) for patients diagnosed between 3 months and 1 year, and LVEDD < 67 mm (OR: 2.71; 95% CI: 1.07-6.88; P < 0.05) for patients diagnosed beyond 1 year were found to be independent predictive factors.

CONCLUSIONS

In our study, in this HFrEF patient population managed in a heart failure outpatient clinic, the 1 year incidence of HFimpEF was found to be ~20%. The 1 year incidence of HFimpEF decreased in relation to time since diagnosis of HFrEF. The most important predictors of the development of HFimpEF were female sex, non-ischaemic aetiology, narrower QRS width, and smaller diameter of the left ventricle and left atrium.

Differences in Health-Related Quality of Life among Patients with Heart Failure

Heart failure (HF) is characterized by a progressive clinical course marked by frequent exacerbations and repeated hospitalizations, leading to considerably high morbidity and mortality rates. Patients with HF present with a constellation of bothersome symptoms, which range from physical to psychological and mental manifestations. With the transition to more advanced HF stages, symptoms become increasingly more debilitating, interfere with activities of daily living and disrupt multiple domains of life, including physical functioning, psychological status, emotional state, cognitive function, intimate relationships, lifestyle status, usual role activities, social contact and support. By inflicting profuse limitations in numerous aspects of life, HF exerts a profoundly negative impact on health-related quality of life (HRQOL). It is therefore not surprising that patients with HF display lower levels of HRQOL compared not only to the general healthy population but also to patients suffering from other chronic diseases. On top of this, poor HRQOL in patients with HF becomes an even greater concern considering that it has been associated with unfavorable long-term outcomes and poor prognosis. Nevertheless, HRQOL may differ significantly among patients with HF. Indeed, it has consistently been reported that women with HF display poorer HRQOL compared to men, while younger patients with HF tend to exhibit lower levels of HRQOL than their older counterparts. Moreover, patients presenting with higher New York Heart Association (NYHA) functional class (III-IV) have significantly more impaired HRQOL than those in a better NYHA class (I-II). Furthermore, most studies report worse levels of HRQOL in patients suffering from HF with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF) compared to patients with HF with reduced ejection fraction (HFrEF) or HF with mildly reduced ejection fraction (HFmrEF). Last, but not least, differences in HRQOL have been noted depending on geographic location, with lower HRQOL levels having been recorded in Africa and Eastern Europe and higher in Western Europe in a recent large global study. Based on the observed disparities that have been invariably reported in the literature, this review article aims to provide insight into the underlying differences in HRQOL among patients with HF. Through an overview of currently existing evidence, fundamental differences in HRQOL among patients with HF are analyzed based on sex, age, NYHA functional class, ejection fraction and geographic location or ethnicity.

Heart failure with improved ejection fraction: Beyond diagnosis to trajectory analysis

Left ventricular (LV) systolic dysfunction represents a highly treatable cause of heart failure (HF). A substantial proportion of patients with HF with reduced ejection fraction (EF;HFrEF) demonstrate improvement in LV systolic function (termed HF with improved EF [HFimpEF]), either spontaneously or when treated with guideline-directed medical therapy (GDMT). Although it is a relatively new HF classification, HFimpEF has emerged in recent years as an important and distinct clinical entity. Improvement in LVEF leads to decreased rates of mortality and adverse HF-related outcomes compared to patients with sustained LV systolic dysfunction (HFrEF). While numerous clinical and imaging factors have been associated with HFimpEF, identification of which patients do and do not improve requires further investigation. In addition, patients improve at different rates, and what determines the trajectory of HFimpEF patients after improvement is incompletely characterized. A proportion of patients maintain improvement in LV systolic function, while others experience a recrudescence of systolic dysfunction, especially with GDMT discontinuation. In this review we discuss the contemporary guideline-recommended classification definition of HFimpEF, the epidemiology of improvement in LV systolic function, and the clinical course of this unique patient population. We also offer evidence-based recommendations for the clinical management of HFimpEF and provide a roadmap for future directions in understanding and improving outcomes in the care of patients with HFimpEF.

Association Between Disease-specific Health-related Quality of Life and All-cause Mortality in Patients with Heart Failure: A Meta-analysis

The association between disease-specific health quality of life (QoL) and adverse outcomes remains controversial in patients with heart failure (HF). This meta-analysis aimed to evaluate the association of QoL measured by the Minnesota Living with Heart Failure Questionnaire (MLHFQ) or Kansas City Cardiomyopathy Questionnaire (KCCQ) with all-cause mortality in patients with HF. PubMed and Embase databases were comprehensively searched until December 30, 2022 to identify studies investigating the utility of QoL measured by the MLHFQ or KCCQ in predicting all-cause mortality patients with HF. Twenty-five studies reported on 24 articles enrolling 42,414 HF patients were identified. A comparison of the top with the bottom MLHFQ score, the pooled adjusted hazard ratios (HR) of all-cause mortality was 1.56 (95% confidence intervals [CI] 1.26-1.94). When analyzed the MLHFQ as continuous variable, each 10-point MLHFQ score increase conferred a 12% (95% CI 6%-18%) higher risk of all-cause mortality, which was consistently significant for physical component (HR 1.19; 95% CI 1.09-1.30) and mental component (HR 1.21; 95% CI 1.05-1.40). A comparison of the bottom with the top KCCQ score, the pooled adjusted HR was 2.34 (95% CI 2.10-2.60) for all-cause mortality. Furthermore, each 10-point KCCQ score decrease was associated with a 12% (95% CI 7%-16%) higher risk of all-cause mortality. Worse health-related QoL defined by the higher MLHFQ or lower KCCQ score was associated with an increased risk of all-cause mortality in patients with HF. Assessment of disease-specific health QoL at baseline may provide important prognostic information in these patients.