Long-term outcomes in heart failure with preserved ejection fraction: Predictors of cardiac and non-cardiac mortality

Editors' highlight picks from 2023 in ESC heart failure

Heart failure is a devastating syndrome affecting an increasingly high number of patients worldwide. Its aetiology and pathogenesis are complex with the involvement of factors ranging from the genetic material through valvular dysfunctions to numerous organs beyond the entire cardiovascular system. Based on continuous efforts of the heart failure scientific community we have witnessed major advances in many related disciplines during the last year. For example, epidemiological aspects-paving the road for improved risk prevention-have been thoroughly analysed for various geographical regions. Additionally, evidence-based approaches now allow the introduction of novel guideline recommended medical therapies (i.e. sodium-glucose transporter 2 inhibitors, and iron supplementation) while basic and translational research aim to explore additional molecular targets for future heart failure diagnostics and medications. All above aspects are addressed in this article, where a selection of articles published in the ESC Heart Failure journal in 2023 are highlighted. The editors are confident that the scientific contributions of ESC Heart Failure effectively served a highly relevant area of cardiovascular research last year.

Cause-specific death in heart failure across the ejection fraction spectrum: A comprehensive assessment of over 100 000 patients in the Swedish Heart Failure Registry

AIM

To assess cause-specific death in patients with heart failure with preserved, mildly reduced, and reduced ejection fraction (HFpEF, HFmrEF, and HFrEF).

METHODS AND RESULTS

Data were analysed from the Swedish Heart Failure Registry (SwedeHF) and the National Patient Register of patients enrolled in SwedeHF 2000-2021. Cox proportional hazards regression models were performed and adjusted for age, sex and time period. Among 100 584 patients (23% HFpEF, 23% HFmrEF, 53% HFrEF), median age (interquartile range) was 75 (66-82) and 36% were female. Of those who died within 5 years, most deaths were ascribed to cardiovascular (CV) causes across all ejection fraction (EF) categories. Within 5 years, HFpEF had higher adjusted risk of non-CV death (hazard ratio [HR] 1.33, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.28-1.38, p < 0.001) and lower adjusted risk of CV death (HR 0.85, 95% CI 0.82-0.88, p < 0.001) compared to HFrEF. Ischaemic heart disease (IHD) and cancer were the most common causes of CV and non-CV death regardless of EF category. The incidence rate of CV death due to IHD was highest in HFrEF while incidence rates of CV death due to pulmonary vascular disease, stroke, valvular heart disease and atrial fibrillation increased with increasing EF. The incidence rates of non-CV deaths due to cancer, respiratory disease, and infections increased with increasing EF.

CONCLUSION

Cardiovascular death was more common than non-CV death across all EF categories although the risk of non-CV death within 5 years was higher with increasing EF. IHD and cancer were the most common causes of CV and non-CV deaths, respectively, regardless of EF category.

Anemia and Iron Deficiency Predict All-Cause Mortality in Patients with Heart Failure and Preserved Ejection Fraction: 6-Year Follow-Up Study

AIMS

The aim of this study was to assess the prevalence of anemia and iron deficiency in patients with heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF) and its impact on clinical outcomes.

METHODS

We retrospectively analyzed 212 patients with HFpEF and identified anemia as a serum hemoglobin level of less than 13 g/dL in men and less than 12 g/dL in women. Additionally, ID was defined as a serum ferritin concentration < 100 ng/mL or 100-299 ng/mL with transferrin saturation < 20%. Patients were followed up for an average of 66.2 ± 12.1 months, with the endpoint being all-cause mortality among patients with HFpEF, both with and without anemia and iron deficiency. Furthermore, we explored other predictors of all-cause mortality.

RESULTS

The average age of the entire group was 70.6 ± 10.5 years, with females comprising 55% of the patients. Anemia was present in 81 (38.2%) patients, while 108 (50.9%) had iron deficiency. At the end of the follow-up period, 60 (28.3%) of the patients had passed away. Patients with anemia displayed more heart failure (HF) symptoms, diastolic dysfunction, higher NT-pro-BNP levels, and worse baseline functional capacity than those without. Similarly, patients with iron deficiency showed more pronounced HF symptoms and worse functional capacity than those without. The results from the multivariable analyses revealed that anemia (hazard ratio [HR]: 5.401, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 4.303-6.209, log-rank p = 0.001), advanced age, iron deficiency (HR: 3.502, 95% CI: 2.204-6.701, log-rank p = 0.015), decreased left ventricular ejection fraction, chronic kidney disease, and paroxysmal nocturnal dyspnea were all independently associated with all-cause mortality.

CONCLUSIONS

It is essential to consider anemia and iron deficiency as common comorbidities in managing and prognosis HFpEF, as they significantly increase mortality risk.

Animal models of heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF): from metabolic pathobiology to drug discovery

Heart failure (HF) with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF) is currently a preeminent challenge for cardiovascular medicine. It has a poor prognosis, increasing mortality, and is escalating in prevalence worldwide. Despite accounting for over 50% of all HF patients, the mechanistic underpinnings driving HFpEF are poorly understood, thus impeding the discovery and development of mechanism-based therapies. HFpEF is a disease syndrome driven by diverse comorbidities, including hypertension, diabetes and obesity, pulmonary hypertension, aging, and atrial fibrillation. There is a lack of high-fidelity animal models that faithfully recapitulate the HFpEF phenotype, owing primarily to the disease heterogeneity, which has hampered our understanding of the complex pathophysiology of HFpEF. This review provides an updated overview of the currently available animal models of HFpEF and discusses their characteristics from the perspective of energy metabolism. Interventional strategies for efficiently utilizing energy substrates in preclinical HFpEF models are also discussed.