Comparison of the Relation of Carotid Intima-Media Thickness With Incident Heart Failure With Reduced Versus Preserved Ejection Fraction (from the Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis [MESA])

Atherogenic index of plasma: a new indicator for assessing the short-term mortality of patients with acute decompensated heart failure

Objective

Arteriosclerosis is a primary causative factor in cardiovascular diseases. This study aims to explore the correlation between the atherogenic index of plasma (AIP) and the 30-day mortality rate in patients with acute decompensated heart failure (ADHF).

Methods

A total of 1,248 ADHF patients recruited from the Jiangxi-Acute Decompensated Heart Failure1 (JX-ADHF1) cohort between 2019 and 2022 were selected for this study. The primary outcome was the 30-day mortality rate. Multivariable Cox regression, restricted cubic splines (RCS), and stratified analyses were utilized to assess the relationship between AIP and the 30-day mortality rate in ADHF patients. Mediation models were employed for exploratory analysis of the roles of inflammation, oxidative stress, and nutrition in the association between AIP and the 30-day mortality rate in ADHF patients.

Results

During the 30-day follow-up, 42 (3.37%) of the ADHF patients died. The mortality rates corresponding to the quartiles of AIP were as follows: Q1: 1.28%, Q2: 2.88%, Q3: 2.88%, Q4: 6.41%. The multivariable Cox regression revealed a positive correlation between high AIP and the 30-day mortality rate in ADHF patients [Hazard ratio (HR) 3.94, 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.08-14.28], independent of age, gender, heart failure type, cardiac function classification, and comorbidities. It is important to note that there was a U-shaped curve association between AIP (<0.24) and the 30-day mortality rate before the fourth quartile, with the lowest 30-day mortality risk in ADHF patients around an AIP of -0.1. Furthermore, mediation analysis suggested significant mediating effects of inflammation and nutrition on the 30-day mortality rate in ADHF patients related to AIP, with inflammation accounting for approximately 24.29% and nutrition for about 8.16% of the mediation effect.

Conclusion

This retrospective cohort analysis reveals for the first time the association between AIP and the 30-day mortality rate in ADHF patients. According to our findings, maintaining an AIP around -0.1 in ADHF patients could be crucial for improving poor prognoses from a medical perspective. Additionally, for ADHF patients with high AIP, it is important to assess and, if necessary, enhance nutritional support and anti-inflammatory treatment.

Are Non-Invasive Modalities for the Assessment of Atherosclerosis Useful for Heart Failure Predictions?

Heart failure (HF) is becoming an increasingly common issue worldwide and is associated with significant morbidity and mortality, making its prevention an important clinical goal. The criteria evaluated using non-invasive modalities such as coronary artery calcification, the ankle-brachial index, and carotid intima-media thickness have been proven to be effective in determining the relative risk of atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease. Notably, risk assessments using these modalities have been proven to be superior to the traditional risk predictors of cardiovascular disease. However, the ability to assess HF risk has not yet been well-established. In this review, we describe the clinical significance of such non-invasive modalities of atherosclerosis assessments and examine their ability to assess HF risk. The predictive value could be influenced by the left ventricular ejection fraction. Specifically, when the ejection fraction is reduced, its predictive value increases because this condition is potentially a result of coronary artery disease. In contrast, using these measures to predict HF with a preserved ejection fraction may be difficult because it is a heterogeneous condition. To overcome this issue, further research, especially on HF with a preserved ejection fraction, is required.

Remodeling of Retinal Arterioles and Carotid Arteries in Heart Failure Development—A Preliminary Study

Current data indicate that heart failure (HF) is associated with inflammation and microvascular dysfunction and remodeling. These mechanisms could be involved in HF development and progression, especially in HF with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF). We aimed to compare structural changes in retinal arterioles and carotid arteries between HF patients and patients without heart failure. This preliminary, retrospective, case-control study included 28 participants (14 patients with HFpEF and 14 age- and sex-matched healthy controls). Carotid intima-media thickness to lumen ratio (cIMTLR) was assessed using B-mode ultrasonography. Retinal arterioles wall- to-lumen ratio (rWLR) was assessed by adaptive optics camera rtx1. The HF patients had higher IMTLR (Dmedian [HFpEF–control group] 0.07, p = 0.01) and eWLR (Dmedian 0.03, p = 0.001) in comparison to patients without HF. In the whole study group, rWLR correlated significantly with IMTLR (r = 0.739, p = 0.001). Prevalence of arterial hypertension was similar in both groups, however, patients with HF had a significantly lower office, central and 24-hour ambulatory blood pressure (systolic Dmedian −21 to −18 mmHg; diastolic Dmedian −23 to −10 mmHg). Our data suggests gradual and simultaneous progression of vascular remodeling in both retinal arterioles and carotid arteries in HFpEF patients. This process could be a marker of HF development. Significantly lower blood pressure values in HF group may indicate that vascular remodeling could be independent of BP control. Nevertheless, further and larger prospective studies allowing to reduce the impact of confounding and address temporality are warranted.

A potential role of autophagy-mediated vascular senescence in the pathophysiology of HFpEF

Heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF) is one of the most complex and most prevalent cardiometabolic diseases in aging population. Age, obesity, diabetes, and hypertension are the main comorbidities of HFpEF. Microvascular dysfunction and vascular remodeling play a major role in its development. Among the many mechanisms involved in this process, vascular stiffening has been described as one the most prevalent during HFpEF, leading to ventricular-vascular uncoupling and mismatches in aged HFpEF patients. Aged blood vessels display an increased number of senescent endothelial cells (ECs) and vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs). This is consistent with the fact that EC and cardiomyocyte cell senescence has been reported during HFpEF. Autophagy plays a major role in VSMCs physiology, regulating phenotypic switch between contractile and synthetic phenotypes. It has also been described that autophagy can regulate arterial stiffening and EC and VSMC senescence. Many studies now support the notion that targeting autophagy would help with the treatment of many cardiovascular and metabolic diseases. In this review, we discuss the mechanisms involved in autophagy-mediated vascular senescence and whether this could be a driver in the development and progression of HFpEF.