Biomarker predictors of cardiac hospitalization in chronic heart failure: a recurrent event analysis

The Importance of Inflammatory and Angiogenic Markers in the Evaluation of Early Cardiovascular Disease Risk in Women with Hypertensive Disorders of Pregnancy

BACKGROUND

Women with hypertensive disorders of pregnancy (HDP) have a significantly higher risk of developing cardiovascular diseases later in life. The stratification of this risk using biomarkers during pregnancy can help to identify these women and apply early prevention.

OBJECTIVE

We aimed to determine proinflammatory cytokines and angiogenic markers, echocardiographic parameter changes after delivery and predict early cardiovascular disease risk in women with arterial hypertension and its complications during pregnancy.

METHODS

We conducted a literature search using the PubMed database for the last ten years. A total of 17 articles were included to our study and full text reviewed.

RESULTS

Four out of six studies found higher postpartum Interleukin-6 (IL-6) levels in women with HDP. IL-6 correlated positively with waist circumference, body mass index, and triglycerides, and negatively with high density lipoproteins (HDL). Two out of four studies found higher postpartum tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α) levels in women with HDP but later concentration equalizes. One out of eight studies found higher placental growth factor (PlGF) and two out of eight found more elevated soluble fms-like tyrosine kinase-1 (sFlt-1) in women with HDP. With decreasing PlGF and increasing sFlt-1, common carotid artery intima and media thickness, aortic root diameter, left atrial diameter, left ventricle mass, systolic, diastolic, and mean blood pressure increased, whereas HDL decreased. One out of four studies found higher sFlt-1/PlGF.

CONCLUSION

IL-6 remains significantly higher after delivery. Few studies found higher TNF-α, sFlt-1, PlGF and their ratio postpartum. All studies found a correlation between angiogenic factors, IL-6, and cardiovascular disease risk factors.

Circulating Angiokines Are Associated With Reverse Remodeling and Outcomes in Chronic Heart Failure

BACKGROUND

We sought to determine whether circulating modifiers of endothelial function are associated with cardiac structure and clinical outcomes in patients with heart failure with reduced ejection fraction (HFrEF).

METHODS

We measured 25 proteins related to endothelial function in 99 patients from the GUIDE-IT study. Protein levels were evaluated for association with echocardiographic parameters and the incidence of all-cause death and hospitalization for heart failure (HHF).

RESULTS

Higher concentrations of angiopoietin 2 (ANGPT2), vascular endothelial growth factor receptor 1 (VEGFR1) and hepatocyte growth factor (HGF) were significantly associated with worse function and larger ventricular volumes. Over time, decreases in ANGPT2 and, to a lesser extent, VEGFR1 and HGF, were associated with improvements in cardiac size and function. Individuals with higher concentrations of ANGPT2, VEGFR1 or HGF had increased risks for a composite of death and HHF in the following year (HR 2.76 (95% CI 1.73-4.40) per 2-fold change in ANGPT2; HR 1.76 (95% CI 1.11-2.79) for VEGFR1; and HR 4.04 (95% CI 2.19-7.44) for HGF).

CONCLUSIONS

Proteins related to endothelial function associate with cardiac size, cardiac function and clinical outcomes in patients with HFrEF. These results support the concept that endothelial function may be an important contributor to the progression to and the recovery from HFrEF.

New Insight in Cardiorenal Syndrome: From Biomarkers to Therapy

Cardiorenal syndrome consists in the coexistence of acute or chronic dysfunction of heart and kidneys resulting in a cascade of feedback mechanisms and causing damage to both organs associated with high morbidity and mortality. In the last few years, different biomarkers have been investigated with the aim to achieve an early and accurate diagnosis of cardiorenal syndrome, to provide a prognostic role and to guide the development of targeted pharmacological and non-pharmacological therapies. In such a context, sodium-glucose cotransporter 2 (SGLT2) inhibitors, recommended as the first-line choice in the management of heart failure, might represent a promising strategy in the management of cardiorenal syndrome due to their efficacy in reducing both cardiac and renal outcomes. In this review, we will discuss the current knowledge on the pathophysiology of cardiorenal syndrome in adults, as well as the utility of biomarkers in cardiac and kidney dysfunction and potential insights into novel therapeutics.

New aspects in cardiorenal syndrome and HFpEF

Cardiorenal syndrome (CRS) is a complex disease in which the heart and kidneys are simultaneously affected, and subsequently, the malfunction of one organ promotes the deterioration of the other. Heart failure (HF) with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF) is the most common form of HF. The pathophysiology of CRS is not well known and several mechanisms have been proposed. An elevation of central venous pressure seems to be one of the key points to consider, among others such as an increase in intraabdominal pressure. Several diagnostic tools have been identified to establish the diagnosis of CRS in patients with HFpEF. Currently, the availability of biomarkers of renal and cardiac injury, the use of pulmonary ultrasound, the monitoring of the size of the inferior vena cava and the study of the renal venous pattern offer a new dimension in accurately diagnosing and quantifying organ damage in CRS. Beyond the symptomatic treatment of congestion, until recently specific therapeutic tools for patients with CRS and HFpEF were not available. Interestingly, the development of new drugs such as the angiotensin/neprilysin inhibitors and sodium-glucose cotransporter-2 (SGLT-2) inhibitors offer new therapeutic strategies with potential benefits in reduction of cardiorenal adverse outcomes in this population. Randomized clinical trials that focus on patients with HFpEF are currently ongoing to delineate optimal new treatments that may be able to modify their prognosis. In addition, multidisciplinary teamwork (nephrologist, cardiologist and nurse) is expected to decrease the number of visits and the rate of hospitalizations, with a subsequent patient benefit.

Association of soluble Flt-1 with heart failure and cardiac morphology: The MESA angiogenesis study

BACKGROUND

Soluble Fms-like tyrosine kinase 1 (sFlt-1) may inhibit angiogenesis. Higher levels of sFlt-1 are associated with worse prognosis in prevalent heart failure patients. The aim of this study was to better understand the role of sFlt-1 in heart failure pathogenesis by characterizing relationships between sFlt-1, cardiac morphology, and the composite outcome of incident heart failure or cardiovascular (CV) death in in a multiethnic cohort free of CV disease at baseline.

METHODS

sFlt-1 was measured in 1,381 participants in the Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis Angiogenesis sub-study. Linear regression was used to estimate the association between sFlt-1 and cardiac morphology and Cox proportional hazard regression was used to estimate associations with incident heart failure or CV mortality.

RESULTS

Over a median follow-up of 13.1 years, higher sFlt-1 levels were associated with incident heart failure or CV mortality independent from CV risk factors or NT-proBNP levels (HR 1.17, 95% CI 1.10-1.26, p < 0.001). Higher sFlt-1 levels were also associated with greater baseline left ventricular (LV) mass by cardiac MRI and increased loss of LV mass over the 10 years following the baseline exam (p-value 0.02 for each), but this association was no longer statistically significant after adjustment for baseline NT-proBNP (p = 0.11 and 0.10 respectively).

CONCLUSIONS

Baseline sFlt-1 levels are associated with incident heart failure and cardiovascular mortality independent of traditional CV risk factors or NT-proBNP. An association was also found with cardiac mass but was no longer significant after adjustment for NT-proBNP.

Concentration-dependent clinical and prognostic importance of high-sensitivity cardiac troponin T in heart failure and a reduced ejection fraction and the influence of empagliflozin: the EMPEROR-Reduced trial

Aims

Circulating troponin is an important measure of risk in patients with heart failure, but it has not been used to determine if disease severity influences the responses to drug treatments in randomized controlled trials.

Methods and results

In the EMPEROR‐Reduced trial, patients with class II–IV heart failure and a reduced ejection fraction were randomly assigned to placebo or empagliflozin 10 mg daily and followed for the occurrence of serious heart failure and renal events. High‐sensitivity cardiac troponin T (hs‐cTnT) was measured in 3636 patients (>97%) at baseline, and patients were divided into four groups based on the degree of troponin elevation. With increasing concentrations of hs‐cTnT, patients were progressively more likely to have diabetes and atrial fibrillation, to have New York Heart Association class III–IV symptoms and been hospitalized for heart failure within the prior year, and to have elevated levels of natriuretic peptides and worse renal function (P‐trend < 0.0001 for all comparisons), but importantly, the troponin groups did not differ with respect to ejection fraction. A linear relationship was observed between the logarithm of hs‐cTnT and the combined risk of cardiovascular death or hospitalization for heart failure (P = 0.0015). When treated with placebo, patients with the highest levels of hs‐cTnT had risks of cardiovascular death and hospitalization for heart failure that were 3–5 fold greater than those with values in the normal range. Patients with higher levels of hs‐cTnT were also more likely to experience worsening of renal function and serious adverse renal events and showed the least improvement in health status (as measured by the Kansas City Cardiomyopathy Questionnaire). When compared with placebo, empagliflozin reduced the combined risk of cardiovascular death or hospitalization for heart failure, regardless of the baseline level of hs‐cTnT, whether the effects of treatment were analysed as hazard ratios or absolute risk reductions.

Conclusions

Elevations in hs‐cTnT reflect the clinical severity, stability and prognosis of patients with heart failure and a reduced ejection fraction, with biomarkers, comorbidities, clinical course and risks that are proportional to the magnitude of hs‐cTnT elevation. Empagliflozin exerted favourable effects on heart failure and renal outcomes, regardless of the baseline concentration of hs‐cTnT.

Predicting outcome in children with dilated cardiomyopathy: the use of repeated measurements of risk factors for outcome

Aims

We aimed to determine whether in children with dilated cardiomyopathy repeated measurement of known risk factors for death or heart transplantation (HTx) during disease progression can identify children at the highest risk for adverse outcome.

Methods and results

Of 137 children we included in a prospective cohort, 36 (26%) reached the study endpoint (SE: all‐cause death or HTx), 15 (11%) died at a median of 0.09 years [inter‐quartile range (IQR) 0.03–0.7] after diagnosis, and 21 (15%) underwent HTx at a median of 2.9 years [IQR 0.8–6.1] after diagnosis. Median follow‐up was 2.1 years [IQR 0.8–4.3]. Twenty‐three children recovered at a median of 0.6 years [IQR 0.5–1.4] after diagnosis, and 78 children had ongoing disease at the end of the study. Children who reached the SE could be distinguished from those who did not, based on the temporal evolution of four risk factors: stunting of length growth (−0.42 vs. −0.02 length Z‐score per year, P < 0.001), less decrease in N‐terminal pro‐B‐type natriuretic peptide (NT‐proBNP) (−0.26 vs. −1.06 2log pg/mL/year, P < 0.01), no decrease in left ventricular internal diastolic dimension (LVIDd; 0.24 vs. −0.60 Boston Z‐score per year, P < 0.01), and increase in New York University Pediatric Heart Failure Index (NYU PHFI; 0.49 vs. −1.16 per year, P < 0.001). When we compared children who reached the SE with those with ongoing disease (leaving out the children who recovered), we found similar results, although the effects were smaller. In univariate analysis, NT‐proBNP, length Z‐score, LVIDd Z‐score, global longitudinal strain (%), NYU PHFI, and age >6 years at presentation (all P < 0.001) were predictive of adverse outcome. In multivariate analysis, NT‐proBNP appeared the only independent predictor for adverse outcome, a two‐fold higher NT‐proBNP was associated with a 2.8 times higher risk of the SE (hazard ratio 2.78, 95% confidence interval 1.81–3.94, P < 0.001).

Conclusions

The evolution over time of NT‐proBNP, LVIDd, length growth, and NYU PHFI identified a subgroup of children with dilated cardiomyopathy at high risk for adverse outcome. In this sample, with a limited number of endpoints, NT‐proBNP was the strongest independent predictor for adverse outcome.

New Cardiovascular Biomarkers in Ischemic Heart Disease-GDF-15, A Probable Predictor for Ejection Fraction

BACKGROUND

Various biomarkers have been associated with coronary artery disease (CAD) and ischemic heart failure. The aim of this study was to investigate the correlation of serum levels of soluble urokinase-type plasminogen activator receptor (suPAR), growth differentiation factor 15 (GDF-15), heart-type fatty acid-binding protein (H-FABP), and soluble suppression of tumorigenicity 2 (sST2) with left ventricular ejection fraction (EF) in CAD patients and controls.

METHODS AND RESULTS

CAD patients were divided into three groups according to their EF as measured by the biplane Simpson method (53-84%, 31-52%, ≤30%). Overall, 361 subjects were analyzed. In total, 155 CAD patients had an EF of 53-84%, 71 patients had an EF of 31-52%, and 23 patients had an EF of ≤30% as compared to 112 healthy controls (age 51.3 ± 9.0 years, 44.6% female). Mean ages according to EF were 62.1 ± 10.9, 65.2 ± 10.1, and 66.6 ± 8.2 years, respectively, with females representing 29.0, 29.6, and 13.0%. suPAR, GDF-15, H-FABP, and sST2 values were significantly higher in CAD patients and showed an exponential increase with decreasing EF. In a multiple logistic regression model, GDF-15 (p = 0.009), and NT-brain natriuretic peptide (p = 0.003) were independently associated with EF.

CONCLUSION

Biomarkers such as suPAR, GDF-15, H-FABP, and sST2 are increased in CAD patients, especially in highly impaired EF. Besides NT-proBNP as a well-known marker for risk prediction, GDF-15 may be an additional tool for diagnosis and clinical follow-up.

NT-ProBNP and hsTnI: A Multistate Survival Analysis in Outpatients with Reduced Left-Ventricular Ejection Fraction

Heart failure (HF) with reduced ejection fraction (HFrEF) has a well-known epidemic relevance in western countries. It affects up to 1-2% of patients > 60 years and reaches a prevalence of 12% in octogenarian patients. The role of N-terminal pro-B-type natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP) and high-sensitive troponin I (hsTnI) in risk stratifying HFrEF patients has been established; at present, evidence is exclusively based on one-time assessments, and the prognostic usefulness of serial biochemical assessments in this population still remains to be determined. We prospectively recruited 226 patients with chronic HFrEF, who were all referred to the Outpatient Clinic of our institution from November 2011 through September 2014. Recruited patients underwent full clinical evaluation with complete history taking and physical examination as well as ECG, biochemical assessment, and standard 2D and Doppler flow echocardiography at the first visit, and then again at each visit during the follow-up, repeated every 6 months. During the follow-up period, cardiovascular (CV) death, which occurred in 16 patients, was not statistically correlated with gender (p = 0.088) or age (p = 0.1636); however, baseline serum levels of NT-proBNP, which were 3 times higher in deceased patients, were significantly related to this clinical event (p = 0.001). We found that NT-proBNP represents a strong and independent predictor of CV outcome; serum levels of hsTnI, which are significantly related to an increased risk of hospitalization, cannot properly predict the relative risk of CV mortality. Our study validates, eventually, the multimarker strategy, which reflects the complexity of the HF pathophysiology.

Natriuretic and Inflammatory Biomarkers as Risk Predictors of Heart Failure in Middle-Aged Men From the General Population: A 21-Year Follow-Up

BACKGROUND

Although several biomarkers, including natriuretic peptides and inflammatory biomarkers, have proven to be useful prognostic predictors in patients with heart failure (HF), their predictive value for incident HF has not been extensively studied.

METHODS AND RESULTS

The "Study of Men Born in 1943" is a longitudinal, prospective study of men living in the city of Gothenburg, Sweden. A panel of biomarkers consisting of interleukin-6 (IL-6), cystatin C, high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP), and N-terminal pro-B-type natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP) was analyzed from blood samples collected in 1993 in men aged 50 years. Incident HF was recorded from multiple sources, including an echocardiographic assessment in 2014. A total of 747 (94%) of the 798 participants with no previous history of HF were included. Of these 747 participants, 85 (11.4%) developed HF over a 21-year follow-up. After adjustment for body mass index (BMI) and hypertension at baseline, NT-proBNP ≥25 ng/L was associated with a higher risk of HF (odds ratio [OR] 2.09, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.30-3.36; P = .0024), as was hs-CRP >3 mg/L (OR 2.61, 95% CI 1.59-4.29; P = .0002). In a multivariable model, the expected probability of HF was 0.33 (95% CI 0.23-0.45) in hypertensive patients with hs-CRP >3 mg/L, NT-proBNP ≥25 ng/L, and BMI ≥25 kg/m², compared with a probability of 0.04 (95% CI 0.02-0.07) in nonhypertensive patients with hs-CRP ≤3 mg/L, NT-proBNP <25 ng/L, and BMI <25 kg/m.² CONCLUSIONS: NT-proBNP ≥25 ng/L and elevated hs-CRP levels in men aged 50 years were predictive biomarkers for HF over a 2one year follow-up.

Novel concept to guide systolic heart failure medication by repeated biomarker testing-results from TIME-CHF in context of predictive, preventive, and personalized medicine

Background

It is uncertain whether repeated measurements of a multi-target biomarker panel may help to personalize medical heart failure (HF) therapy to improve outcome in chronic HF.

Methods

This analysis included 499 patients from the Trial of Intensified versus standard Medical therapy in Elderly patients with Congestive Heart Failure (TIME-CHF), aged ≥ 60 years, LVEF ≤ 45%, and NYHA ≥ II, who had repeated clinical visits within 19 months follow-up. The interaction between repeated measurements of biomarkers and treatment effects of loop diuretics, spironolactone, β-blockers, and renin-angiotensin system (RAS) inhibitors on risk of HF hospitalization or death was investigated in a hypothesis-generating analysis. Generalized estimating equation (GEE) models were used to account for the correlation between recurrences of events in a patient.

Results

One hundred patients (20%) had just one event (HF hospitalization or death) and 87 (17.4%) had at least two events. Loop diuretic up-titration had a beneficial effect for patients with high interleukin-6 (IL6) or high high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hsCRP) (interaction, P = 0.013 and P = 0.001), whereas the opposite was the case with low hsCRP (interaction, P = 0.013). Higher dosage of loop diuretics was associated with poor outcome in patients with high blood urea nitrogen (BUN) or prealbumin (interaction, P = 0.006 and P = 0.001), but not in those with low levels of these biomarkers. Spironolactone up-titration was associated with lower risk of HF hospitalization or death in patients with high cystatin C (CysC) (interaction, P = 0.021). β-Blockers up-titration might have a beneficial effect in patients with low soluble fms-like tyrosine kinase-1 (sFlt) (interaction, P = 0.021). No treatment biomarker interactions were found for RAS inhibition.

Conclusion

The data of this post hoc analysis suggest that decision-making using repeated biomarker measurements may be very promising in bringing treatment of heart failure to a new level in the context of predictive, preventive, and personalized medicine. Clearly, prospective testing is needed before this novel concept can be adopted.

Clinical trial registration

isrctn.org, identifier: ISRCTN43596477

Electronic supplementary material

The online version of this article (10.1007/s13167-018-0137-7) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

Biomarkers in Cardiorenal Syndromes

There is a consensus that cardiorenal syndromes (CRS) are defined as the disorders of heart and kidney where acute or chronic dysfunction in one organ may induce acute or chronic dysfunction in another. Patients with CRS have increased hospitalization and mortality rates, and thus their identification is of great implication. Biomarkers are not only predictive in heart failure or renal diseases, but also useful in identifying cardiac dysfunction in renal diseases and renal injury in heart failure. Thus, they may be applied in order to identify patients with CRS and even assess prognosis and guide therapy in these patients. However, studies on biomarkers have just begun in CRS. Future studies are essential to observe current biomarkers and find novel biomarkers in CRS so as to improve diagnosis, therapy, and prognosis of CRS.

Assessment of Diastolic Function Using Ultrasound Elastography

Shear wave elasticity imaging (SWEI) is a novel ultrasound elastography technique for assessing tissue stiffness. In this study, we investigate the potential of SWEI for providing diastolic functional assessment. In 11 isolated rabbit hearts, pressure-volume (PV) measurements were recorded simultaneously with SWEI recordings from the left ventricle free wall before and after induction of global ischemia. PV-based end diastolic stiffness increased by 100% after ischemia (p <0.05), and SWEI stiffness showed an increase of 103% (p <0.05). The relaxation time constant (τ) before and after ischemia derived from pressure and SWEI curves showed increases of 79% and 76%, respectively (p <0.05). A linear regression between pressure-derived and SWEI-based (τ) showed a slope of 1.164 with R² = 0.80, indicating the near equivalence of the two assessments. SWEI can be used to derive (τ) values and myocardial end diastolic stiffness. In global conditions, these measurements are consistent with PV measurements of diastolic function.

Prognostication in Different Heart Failure Phenotypes: The Role of Circulating Biomarkers

Heart failure (HF) is multifactorial syndrome with high cardiovascular (CV) morbidity and mortality rates associated with an increasing prevalence worldwide. Measuring plasma levels of circulating biomarkers, i.e., natriuretic peptides, cardiac-specific troponins, metabolomic intermediates, Galectin-3, ST2, cardiotrophin-1, soluble endoglin and growth differentiation factor 15, may assist in the prognostication of HF development. However, the role of biomarker models in the prediction of an early stage of HF with a preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF) and HF with a reduced ejection fraction (HFrEF) is not still understood. This review explores the knowledge regarding the utility of cardiac biomarkers, aiming to reclassify patients with different phenotypes of HF. The review reports that several biomarkers reflected on subsequently alter collagen turnover, cardiac fibrosis and inflammation, which might have diagnostic and predictive value in HFpEF and HFrEF. The best candidates for determining the early stage of HF development were sST2, Galectin-3, CT-1 and GDF-15. However, increased plasma concentrations of these biomarkers were not specific to a distinct disease group of HFpEF and HFrEF. Finally, more investigations are required to determine the role of novel biomarkers in the prediction of HF and the determination of the early stages of HFpEF and HFrEF development.

Analysis of changes in maternal circulating angiogenic factors throughout pregnancy for the prediction of preeclampsia

OBJECTIVE

To assess whether changes in maternal angiogenic factors throughout pregnancy predict the development of preeclampsia.

STUDY DESIGN

Placental growth factor (PlGF) and soluble fms-like tyrosine kinase 1 receptor (sFlt-1) were measured in 2355 women at 10, 18, 26 and 35 weeks gestation. Receiver operator characteristic analysis was used to calculate test characteristics for changes in analytes between time points. Linear mixed-effects models generated slopes of analytes throughout pregnancy, which in turn were used as predictors in adjusted logistic regression models.

RESULT

Changes in analytes yielded positive predictive values of 9 to 19% and negative predictive values of 93 to 97%. Individuals with lowest quartile slopes in PlGF had sixfold greater odds (95% confidence interval (CI): 3.5, 10.2) of preeclampsia compared with individuals in the highest quartile. With respect to sFlt-1, the highest quartile had 5.1 times greater odds (95% CI: 3.1, 8.4) than the lowest quartile.

CONCLUSION

Measuring the trend in PlGF and sFlt-1 across pregnancy segregates women at increased risk of preeclampsia. However, changes in these factors throughout pregnancy lack clinically useful predictive power.

Relationship of hyperuricemia with mortality in heart failure patients with preserved ejection fraction

Serum uric acid is a predictor of cardiovascular mortality in heart failure with reduced ejection fraction. However, the impact of uric acid on heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF) remains unclear. Here, we investigated the association between hyperuricemia and mortality in HFpEF patients. Consecutive 424 patients, who were admitted to our hospital for decompensated heart failure and diagnosed as having HFpEF, were divided into two groups based on presence of hyperuricemia (serum uric acid ≥7 mg/dl or taking antihyperuricemic agents). We compared patient characteristics, echocardiographic data, cardio-ankle vascular index, and cardiopulmonary exercise test findings between the two groups and prospectively followed cardiac and all-cause mortality. Compared with the non-hyperuricemia group (n = 170), the hyperuricemia group (n = 254) had a higher prevalence of hypertension (P = 0.013), diabetes mellitus (P = 0.01), dyslipidemia (P = 0.038), atrial fibrillation (P = 0.001), and use of diuretics (P < 0.001). Cardio-ankle vascular index (8.7 vs. 7.5, P < 0.001) and V̇e/V̇co2 slope (34.9 vs. 31.9, P = 0.02) were also higher. In addition, peak V̇o2 (14.9 vs. 17.9 ml·kg(-1)·min(-1), P < 0.001) was lower. In the follow-up period (mean 897 days), cardiac and all-cause mortalities were significantly higher in those with hyperuricemia (P = 0.006 and P = 0.004, respectively). In the multivariable Cox proportional hazard analyses after adjustment for several confounding factors including chronic kidney disease and use of diuretics, hyperuricemia was an independent predictor of all-cause mortality (hazard ratio 1.98, 95% confidence interval 1.036-3.793, P = 0.039). Hyperuricemia is associated with arterial stiffness, impaired exercise capacity, and high mortality in HFpEF.

Soluble Flt-1 links microvascular disease with heart failure in CKD

Chronic kidney disease (CKD) is associated with an increased risk of heart failure (HF). Elevated plasma concentrations of soluble Flt-1 (sFlt-1) have been linked to cardiovascular disease in CKD patients, but whether sFlt-1 contributes to HF in CKD is still unknown. To provide evidence that concludes a pathophysiological role of sFlt-1 in CKD-associated HF, we measured plasma sFlt-1 concentrations in 586 patients with angiographically documented coronary artery disease and renal function classified according to estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR). sFlt-1 concentrations correlated negatively with eGFR and were associated with signs of heart failure, based on New York Heart Association functional class and reduced left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF), and early mortality. Additionally, rats treated with recombinant sFlt-1 showed a 15 % reduction in LVEF and a 29 % reduction in cardiac output compared with control rats. High sFlt-1 concentrations were associated with a 15 % reduction in heart capillary density (number of vessels/cardiomyocyte) and a 24 % reduction in myocardial blood volume. Electron microscopy and histological analysis revealed mitochondrial damage and interstitial fibrosis in the hearts of sFlt-1-treated, but not control rats. In 5/6-nephrectomised rats, an animal model of CKD, sFlt-1 antagonism with recombinant VEGF121 preserved heart microvasculature and significantly improved heart function. Overall, these findings suggest that a component of cardiovascular risk in CKD patients could be directly attributed to sFlt-1. Assessment of patients with CKD confirmed that sFlt-1 concentrations were inversely correlated with renal function, while studies in rats suggested that sFlt-1 may link microvascular disease with HF in CKD.

Diastolic dysfunction

Despite the growing number of patients affected, the understanding of diastolic dysfunction and heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF) is still poor. Clinical trials, largely based on successful treatments for systolic heart failure, have been disappointing, suggesting that HFpEF has a different pathology to that of systolic dysfunction. In this review, general concepts, epidemiology, diagnosis, and treatment of diastolic dysfunction are summarized, with an emphasis on new experiments suggesting that oxidative stress plays a crucial role in the pathogenesis of at least some forms of the disease. This observation has lead to potential new diagnostics and therapeutics for diastolic dysfunction and heart failure caused by diastolic dysfunction.

Soluble ST2 in heart failure

In addition to routine clinical laboratory tests (including natriuretic peptides and cardiac troponins), other biomarkers are gaining attention for their utility in heart failure (HF) management. Among them, soluble ST2 (sST2) a novel biomarker integrating inflammation, fibrosis, and cardiac stress has been included in the 2013 ACCF/AHA guideline for additive risk stratification of patients with acute and chronic HF. sST2 is an interleukin-1 (IL-1) receptor family member, is secreted into the circulation and functions as a "decoy" receptor for IL-33, inhibiting IL-33/ST2 signaling. Blood concentrations of sST2 are increased in various diseases such as inflammatory diseases and heart diseases and are considered a valuable prognostic marker in both conditions. sST2 lacks disease specificity and, therefore, is not a valuable marker for the diagnosis of HF. In acute and chronic HF, however, sST2 is strongly associated with measures of HF severity and poor outcome. Several studies in patients with HF indicate that serial measurement of sST2 has prognostic value and could have a potential role in future biomarker-directed therapy. In this review, the role of sST2 as a HF biomarker will be discussed, specifically addressing analytical considerations of measuring sST2 as well as the clinical applications of measurement of sST2 for the diagnosis, prognosis and monitoring of acute and chronic HF.