Liver stiffness as measured by transient elastography is a predictor of outcomes in patients with chronic heart failure with reduced, mid-range, and recovered left-ventricular ejection fraction

Prognostic value of liver stiffness in patients hospitalized for acute decompensated heart failure: a meta-analysis

PURPOSE

Heart failure (HF) is a major health problem affecting millions of people worldwide. In the latest years, many efforts have been made to identify predictors of poor prognosis in these patients. The aim of this systematic review and meta-analysis was to enlighten the correlation between liver stiffness (LS), assessed by Shear Wave Elastography techniques, and HF, particularly focusing on the prognostic value of LS on cardiovascular outcomes.

METHODS

We searched the PUBMED databases (up to May 1st, 2023) for studies that enlightened the correlation between LS and cardiovascular outcomes in patients hospitalized for acute decompensated heart failure (ADHF). We performed a meta-analysis to estimate the efficacy of LS in predicting the prognosis of patients with ADHF.

RESULTS

We analyzed data from 7 studies, comprising 677 patients, that assessed the prognostic value of LS in predicting cardiovascular outcomes in patients hospitalized for ADHF. The pooled analysis showed that increased liver stiffness was associated with higher risk of adverse cardiac events (hazard ratio 1.07 [1.03, 1.12], 95% CI).

CONCLUSION

Increased LS is associated with poor prognosis in patients hospitalized for HF and might help effectively identify those patients at high risk for worse outcomes.