Mechanical circulatory support for elderly heart failure patients

Management of heart failure in the elderly

PURPOSE OF REVIEW

Heart failure is a major chronic illness with no definitive cure. With improving healthcare and with an aging population in many countries, heart failure has become a common disease of the elderly. Pharmacological management of heart failure in the elderly remains a challenge. The syndrome of heart failure cannot be isolated from other comorbidities, which are very common in this population. The purpose of this review is to assist practicing clinicians to more effectively make decisions about management of heart failure in the elderly.

RECENT FINDINGS

In this review, we will try to integrate recent research studies, recent guidelines, and new treatment modalities, and discuss some controversies.

SUMMARY

In general, the elderly patient with heart failure should be treated according to current heart failure guidelines; however, untailored heart failure management may cause untoward effects in this age group and may worsen clinical outcome.

Can a Left Ventricular Assist Device in Individuals with Advanced Systolic Heart Failure Improve or Reverse Frailty?

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES

Frailty, characterized by low physiological reserves, is strongly associated with vulnerability to adverse outcomes. Features of frailty overlap with those of advanced heart failure, making a distinction between them difficult. We sought to determine whether implantation of a left ventricular assist device (LVAD) would decrease frailty.

DESIGN

Prospective, cohort study.

SETTING

Five academic medical centers.

PARTICIPANTS

Frail individuals (N = 29; mean age 70.6 ± 5.5, 72.4% male).

MEASUREMENTS

Frailty, defined as having 3 or more of the Fried frailty criteria, was assessed before LVAD implantation and 1, 3, and 6 months after implantation. Other domains assessed included quality of life, using the Kansas City Cardiomyopathy Questionnaire; mood, using the Patient Health Questionnaire; and cognitive function, using the Trail-Making Test Part B.

RESULTS

After 6 months, three subjects had died, and one had undergone a heart transplant; of 19 subjects with serial frailty measures, the average number of frailty criteria decreased from 3.9 ± 0.9 at baseline to 2.8 ± 1.4 at 6 months (P = .003). Improvements were observed after 3 to 6 months of LVAD support, although 10 (52.6%) participants still had 3 or more Fried criteria, and all subjects had at least one at 6 months. Changes in frailty were associated with improvement in QOL but not with changes in mood or cognition. Higher estimated glomerular filtration rate at baseline was independently associated with a decrease in frailty.

CONCLUSION

Frailty decreased in approximately half of older adults with advanced heart failure after 6 months of LVAD support. Strategies to enhance frailty reversal in this population are worthy of additional study.

Heart failure management in the elderly - a public health challenge

Heart failure (HF) is a rapidly growing public health problem and the leading cause of morbidity, mortality, and hospitalization in populations > 65 years. The elderly HF patients have an increased prevalence of HF with preserved ejection fraction and comorbidities, may present with atypical symptoms and signs, have a higher risk for adverse drug reactions, and worse prognosis as compared with younger patients. Moreover, there is a lack of evidence-based therapies for this population because they are underrepresented in the clinical trials. The elderly are less likely to be evaluated by a cardiologist and to be treated in accordance with recommendations of the current HF guidelines. Although the treatment is improving, it is still suboptimal; therefore, HF in elderly patients requires mobilization of public health services and improvement of treatment strategies.

Ventricular assist device implantation in the elderly

BACKGROUND

Dramatic advances in ventricular assist device (VAD) design and patient management have made mechanical circulatory support an attractive therapeutic option for the growing pool of elderly heart failure patients.

METHODS

A literature review of all relevant studies was performed. No time or language restrictions were imposed, and references of the selected studies were checked for additional relevant citations.

RESULTS

In concordance with the universal trend in mechanical circulatory support, continuous flow devices appear to have particular benefits in the elderly. In addition, the literature suggests that early intervention before the development of cardiogenic shock, important in all patients, is particularly paramount in older patients.

CONCLUSIONS

The ongoing refinement of patient selection, surgical technique, and post-operative care will continue to improve surgical outcomes, and absolute age may become a less pivotal criterion for mechanical circulatory support. However, clear guidelines for the use of mechanical circulatory support in the elderly remain undefined.

Survival in elderly patients supported with continuous flow left ventricular assist device as bridge to transplantation or destination therapy

BACKGROUND

Published data on mechanical circulatory support for elderly patients in continuous flow devices are sparse and suggest relatively poor survival. This study investigated whether LVADs can be implanted in selected patients over the age of 65 years with acceptable survival compared with published outcomes.

METHODS AND RESULTS

A single-center retrospective analysis was conducted in 64 consecutive patients ≥65 years of age implanted with a continuous-flow left ventricular assist device (CF-LVAD) as either bridge to transplantation or destination therapy from August 2005 to January 2012. Baseline laboratory and hemodynamic characteristics and follow-up data were obtained. Median survival was 1,090 days. Survival was 85%, 74%, 55%, and 45% at 6 months and 1, 2, and 3 years, respectively. Our cohort had a baseline mean Seattle Heart Failure Model (SHFM) score of 2.6 ± 0.9. Observed survival was significantly better than SHFM-predicted medical survival. Stratification by age subsets, renal function, SHFM, implantation intention, or etiology did not reveal significant differences in survival. The most common cause of death was sepsis and nonlethalcomplication was bleeding.

CONCLUSIONS

Our experience with patients over the age of 65 receiving CF-LVADs suggests that this group demonstrates excellent survival. Further research is needed to discern the specific criteria for risk stratification for LVAD support in the elderly.

Heart failure in elderly patients: distinctive features and unresolved issues

The prevalence of heart failure (HF) increases with age. While clinical trials suggest that contemporary evidence-based HF therapies have reduced morbidity and mortality, these trials largely excluded the elderly. Questions remain regarding the clinical characteristics of elderly HF patients and the impact of contemporary therapies on their outcomes. This review presents the epidemiology of HF in the elderly and summarizes the data on the pathophysiology of the ageing heart. The clinical characteristics, treatment patterns, and outcomes of elderly HF patients are explored. Finally, the main gaps regarding HF therapies in the elderly and the opportunities for future trials are highlighted.