The role of bioelectrical phase angle in patients with heart failure

Assessing nutrition status, sarcopenia, and frailty in adult transplant recipients

The assessment of nutrition status, sarcopenia, and frailty holds significant relevance in the context of adult transplantation, as these factors are associated with an unfavorable prognosis; thus, transplant candidates must undergo a full nutrition assessment. Screening tools may be used to prioritize patients, this can be done using the Nutrition Risk Screening 2002 or Royal Free Hospital-Nutritional Prioritizing Tool. Subsequently, a thorough nutrition-focused physical examination should be conducted to evaluate clinical signs of nutrition deficiencies, fat and muscle loss, and fluid overload; dietary history and current intake must also be assessed. Apart from physical examination, specific testing for sarcopenia and frailty are recommended. For sarcopenia assessment, specifically for muscle quantification, the gold standard is the cross-sectional measurement of the muscle at L3 obtained from a computed tomography scan or magnetic resonance imaging; dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry is also a good tool especially when appendicular skeletal muscle index is calculated. Other more readily available options include phase angle from bioelectrical impedance or bioimpedance spectroscopy. In the sarcopenia assessment, muscle function evaluation is required, handgrip strength stands as the primary test for this purpose; this test is also part of the subjective global assessment and is included in some frailty scores. Finally, for frailty assessment, the Short Physical Performance Battery is useful for evaluating physical frailty, and for a multidimensional evaluation, the Fried frailty phenotype can be used. Specifically for liver transplant candidates, the use of Liver Frailty Index is recommended.

Utility of bioelectrical phase angle for cardiovascular risk assessment among individuals with and without diabetes mellitus

PURPOSE

Low values of bioimpedance-derived phase angle (PA) have been associated with various adverse outcomes. We investigated the association of PA with cardiovascular markers in individuals with and without diabetes mellitus (DM).

METHODS

PA was measured in 452 adults (without DM n = 153, T1DM n = 67, T2DM n = 232). Carotid intima-media thickness (IMT), renal resistive index (RRI), ankle-brachial index (ABI) and carotid-femoral Pulse Wave Velocity (cfPWV) were estimated. Furthermore, the levels of high-sensitive Troponin-T [hsTnT], N-terminal brain natriuretic peptide [NT-pro-BNP]) were measured.

RESULTS

PA values were lower in DM independently of age, gender, and BMI (estimated marginal means 6.21, 5.83, 5.95 for controls, T1DM, T2DM p < .05), a finding which persisted after propensity score matching. PA correlated negatively with IMT (r = -0.181), RRI (r = -0.374), cfPWV (r = -0.358), hsTnT (r = -0.238) and NT-pro-BNP (r = -0.318) (all p < .001). In multivariable analysis, the associations with RRI, cfPWV, hsTnT and NT-pro-BNP remained unchanged. PA values 6.0-6.5° for males and 5.2-5.8° for females were predictive of commonly used cutoffs. The combination of ΑCC/AHA ASCVD Score with PA outperformed either factor in predicting cfPWV, RRI for males and hsTnT, BNP for both genders.

CONCLUSIONS

PA exhibits independent correlations with various parameters pertinent to cardiovascular risk and may be useful for cardiovascular assessment.

Anaemia and Congestion in Heart Failure: Correlations and Prognostic Role

The aim of this study was to evaluate the relationship between anaemia and biomarkers of central/peripheral congestion in heart failure (HF) and the impact on mortality. We retrospectively evaluated 434 acute/chronic HF (AHF/CHF) patients. Anaemia was defined as haemoglobin levels <12 g/dL (women) or <13 g/dL (men). The brain natriuretic peptide (BNP) and hydration index (HI) were measured. The endpoint of the study was all-cause mortality. Anaemia occurred in 59% of patients with AHF and in 35% with CHF (p < 0.001) and showed a significant correlation with the NYHA functional class and renal function. BNP and HI were significantly higher in patients with anaemia than in those without anaemia. Independent predictors of anaemia included BNP, estimated creatinine clearance (eCrCL), and HI. The all-cause mortality rate was 21%, which was significantly higher in patients with anaemia than in those without anaemia (30% vs. 14%, p < 0.001; hazard ratio: 2.6). At multivariate Cox regression analysis, BNP, eCrCL, and HI were independent predictors for mortality (Hazard ratios: 1.0002, 0.97, and 1.05, respectively), while anaemia was not. Anaemia correlates with HF status, functional class, renal function, BNP, and HI. Anaemia was not an independent predictor for mortality, acting as a disease severity marker in congestive patients rather than as a predictor of death.

Assessment of Volume Status in Hospitalized Patients With Chronic Heart Failure

Assessment of volume status in hospitalized patients with heart failure is a critically important diagnostic skill that clinicians utilize frequently. However, accurate assessment is challenging and there is often significant inter-provider disagreement. This review serves as an appraisal of current methods of volume assessment amongst different categories of evaluation including patient history, physical exam, laboratory analysis, imaging, and invasive procedures. Within each category, this review highlights methods that are particularly sensitive or specific, or those that carry impactful positive or negative likelihood ratios. Utilization of the information that this review provides will allow clinicians to determine volume status of hospitalized heart failure patients more accurately and more precisely in order to provide appropriate and effective therapies.