Impaired renal function is a major determinant of left ventricular diastolic dysfunction: assessment by stress myocardial perfusion imaging

The diastolic function abnormalities in hemodialysis session: a two-dimensional speckle tracking echocardiographic (2DSTE) study

Hemodialysis (HD) decreases preload and its acute effect on the diastolic function is still controversial even with the introduction of new non-volume-dependent tissue Doppler echocardiographic indices. This study is designed to evaluate these acute changes following HD sessions. We enrolled 39 patients receiving standard thrice weekly HD for more than 6 months and performed two dimensional speckle tracking echocardiography (2DSTE) and tissue Doppler studies with a standard cardiac ultrasound device shortly before and after HD. We observed significant changes in most of the transmitral flow and tissue Doppler echocardiographic parameters after HD. The left atrial volume index, left ventricular mass index, mitral E, mitral E/A, and lateral annular E/é levels decreased after HD (p: < 0.001, p: 0.026, p: < 0.001, p: 0.011, p: < 0.001, respectively). Medial á, medial myocardial performance index (MPI), medial ś, lateral ś, and lateral MPI values increased significantly after HD (p: 0.049, p: 0.007, p: 0.001, p: < 0.001, p: 0.01, respectively). Diastolic parameters like diastolic strain ratio early diastole (DSRE), diastolic strain ratio late diastole (DSRA), E/DSRE, and E/DSRA did not change significantly after HD (p: 0.716, p: 0.117, p: 0.114, and p: 0.211, respectively). The global longitudinal strain value obtained with 2DSTE worsened after HD (- 18.4 ± 4.0 before vs - 15.9 ± 5.4 after HD, p: 0.011). Transmitral flow and tissue Doppler parameters changed significantly after HD while the change in 2DSTE findings was not significant. The diastolic measurements made with 2DSTE may be less volume and cardiac preload dependent compared to conventional echocardiography and this may explain the difference.

The function of the heart is not obvious

It is widely believed that the function of the heart is obviously to pump blood. I argue here that it is not. The definition, presentation, and pathophysiological explanation of heart failure, as well as the measurement of cardiac dysfunction, are not as might be expected if the function of the heart was simply to pump blood. Far from being obvious, many central features of heart failure are still being investigated. This has important implications for philosophical debates about health and disease. According to naturalists like Christopher Boorse, medical practice is founded on a well-established body of physiological knowledge, which provides the one true account of the biological function of organs. On this naturalistic view, there should only be one account of the pathophysiology of heart failure in use in medical practice. This account of the pathophysiology of heart failure should be well-established, as opposed to uncertain. Medics should use this physiological knowledge to inform their clinical practice, and not vice versa. Clinical considerations, such as whether patients respond to therapy, should not inform debates about what the pathophysiology of heart failure is. I will show this is not the case. The handling of knowledge of the biological function of the heart in medical practice differs substantially from Boorse's account.

Renal function monitoring in heart failure - what is the optimal frequency? A narrative review

The second most common cause of hospitalization due to adverse drug reactions in the UK is renal dysfunction due to diuretics, particularly in patients with heart failure, where diuretic therapy is a mainstay of treatment regimens. Therefore, the optimal frequency for monitoring renal function in these patients is an important consideration for preventing renal failure and hospitalization. This review looks at the current evidence for optimal monitoring practices of renal function in patients with heart failure according to national and international guidelines on the management of heart failure (AHA/NICE/ESC/SIGN). Current guidance of renal function monitoring is in large part based on expert opinion, with a lack of clinical studies that have specifically evaluated the optimal frequency of renal function monitoring in patients with heart failure. Furthermore, there is variability between guidelines, and recommendations are typically nonspecific. Safer prescribing of diuretics in combination with other antiheart failure treatments requires better evidence for frequency of renal function monitoring. We suggest developing more personalized monitoring rather than from the current medication-based guidance. Such flexible clinical guidelines could be implemented using intelligent clinical decision support systems. Personalized renal function monitoring would be more effective in preventing renal decline, rather than reacting to it.

Heart function disturbances in chronic kidney disease - echocardiographic indices

INTRODUCTION

In chronic kidney disease (CKD) patients left ventricular (LV) diastolic dysfunction occurs frequently and is associated with heart failure (HF) and higher mortality. Left ventricular systolic dysfunction is associated with coronary artery disease (CAD) and is a major determinant of prognosis. The aim of this study was to assess indices of LV diastolic dysfunction in CKD patients.

MATERIAL AND METHODS

Study included 118 CKD patients. All patients underwent transthoracic echocardiography. Diastolic function based on E and A, E/A ratio and pulmonary vein flow velocities as well as EF%, deceleration time, RA, LA volume were assessed. In dialysis patients examination was carried out before and after dialysis.

RESULTS

In CKD patients the stage of renal failure was associated with the significant increase in LV mass (268.0 ±47.6 CKD I/II vs. 432.7 ±122.4 CKD V/dialysis, p < 0.0001), systolic LV (37.3 ±4.5 vs. 51.2 ±8.9, p < 0.0001) and diastolic LV (CKD I-II 44.7 ±4.1 vs. CKD III 48.5 ±6.7 vs. CKD IV 47.1 ±5.6; p = 0.004) dimensions and in the size of the LA (40.4 ±2.0 vs. 41.9 ±2.7 vs. 42.3 ±3.2 vs. 44.8 ±3.1; p < 0.0001). The increase the E/E' ratio between groups of patients (6.7 ±1.5 vs. 8.9 ±2.4 vs. 11.5 ±4.0 vs. 13.5 ±5.0; p < 0.0001) was seen in this study. The reduction in deceleration time (247.2 ±34.5 in CKD I/II vs. 197.4 ±61.0 in CKD IV, p = 0.0005) along with the decrease in estimated glomerular filtration rate was also observed in this study.

CONCLUSIONS

Early identification of factors involved is necessary to prevent this devastating process. Many indexes of contractility are used and each of them has imperfections. It seems that TVI, E, E/A and E/E' are good instruments for the early detection of left ventricular hypertrophy and diastolic dysfunction.