The Obesity and Heart Failure Epidemics Among African Americans: Insights From the Jackson Heart Study

Obesity in heart failure with preserved ejection fraction: Insights from the REDUCE LAP-HF II trial

AIMS

Obesity is causally related to the development of heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF) but complicates the diagnosis and treatment of this disorder. We aimed to determine the relationship between severity of obesity and clinical, echocardiographic and haemodynamic parameters in a large cohort of patients with documented HFpEF.

METHODS AND RESULTS

The REDUCE LAP-HF II trial randomized 626 patients with ejection fraction ≥40% and exercise pulmonary capillary wedge pressure (PCWP) ≥25 mmHg to atrial shunt or sham procedure. We tested for associations between body mass index (BMI), clinical characteristics, cardiac structural and functional abnormalities, physical limitations, quality of life and outcomes with atrial shunt therapy. Overall, 60.9% of patients had BMI ≥30 kg/m2 . As the severity of obesity increased, symptoms (Kansas City Cardiomyopathy Questionnaire score) and 6-min walk distance worsened. More severe obesity was associated with lower natriuretic peptide levels despite more cardiac remodelling, higher cardiac filling pressures, and higher cardiac output. Lower cut points for E/e' were needed to identify elevated PCWP in more obese patients. Strain measurements in all four chambers were maintained as BMI increased. Pulmonary vascular resistance at rest and exercise decreased with higher BMI. Obesity was associated with more first and recurrent heart failure events. However, there was no significant interaction between obesity and treatment effects of the atrial shunt.

CONCLUSIONS

Increasing severity of obesity was associated with greater cardiac remodelling, higher right and left ventricular filling pressures, higher cardiac output and increased subsequent heart failure events. Despite significant obesity, many HFpEF patients have preserved right heart and pulmonary vascular function and thus, may be appropriate candidates for atrial shunt therapy.

Body Composition and Risk of Incident Heart Failure in 1 Million Adults: A Systematic Review and Dose-Response Meta-Analysis of Prospective Cohort Studies

Background The aim of this systematic review was to quantify the associations between body composition measures and risk of incident heart failure (HF) and its subtypes in the general population. Methods and Results We searched Medline, Embase, and Global Health databases from each database inception to January 19, 2023 for prospective studies reporting on body composition and HF risk. We followed the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses guidelines. The Newcastle-Ottawa scale was used to assess the risk of bias of included studies. Fixed-effects models were used for meta-analysis. Thirty-five studies were included (ntotal=1 137 044; ncases=34 422). Summary relative risk (RR) per 5-kg/m2 higher body mass index was 1.42 (95% CI, 1.40-1.42; 𝜁2=0.02, I2=94.4%), 1.28 (95% CI, 1.26-1.31; 𝜁2=0.01, I2=75.8%) per 10-cm higher waist circumference, and 1.33 (95% CI, 1.28-1.37; 𝜁2=0.04, I2=94.9%) per 0.1-unit higher waist-hip ratio. Pooled estimates of the few studies that reported on regional fat suggested significant positive association between HF risk and both visceral fat (RR, 1.08 [95% CI, 1.04-1.12]) and pericardial fat (RR, 1.08 [95% CI, 1.06-1.10]). Among HF subtypes, associations were stronger for HF with preserved ejection fraction than HF with reduced ejection fraction. No study reported on lean mass. Conclusions Pooled data suggested strong associations between adiposity and HF. The association with adiposity is stronger for HF with preserved ejection fraction than HF with reduced ejection fraction, indicating that different mechanisms may be at play in etiopathogenesis of HF subtypes. Future studies are needed to investigate role of regional fat mass and lean mass in HF risk. Registration Information REGISTRATION: URL: www.crd.york.ac.uk/prospero/. Unique identifier: CRD42020224584.

Anthropometric measures and adverse outcomes in heart failure with reduced ejection fraction: revisiting the obesity paradox

AIMS

Although body mass index (BMI) is the most commonly used anthropometric measure, newer indices such as the waist-to-height ratio, better reflect the location and amount of ectopic fat, as well as the weight of the skeleton, and may be more useful.

METHODS AND RESULTS

The prognostic value of several newer anthropometric indices was compared with that of BMI in patients with heart failure (HF) and reduced ejection fraction (HFrEF) enrolled in prospective comparison of ARNI with ACEI to determine impact on global mortality and morbidity in heart failure. The primary outcome was HF hospitalization or cardiovascular death. The association between anthropometric indices and outcomes were comprehensively adjusted for other prognostic variables, including natriuretic peptides. An 'obesity-survival paradox' related to lower mortality risk in those with BMI ≥25 kg/m2 (compared with normal weight) was identified but this was eliminated by adjustment for other prognostic variables. This paradox was less evident for waist-to-height ratio (as an exemplar of indices not incorporating weight) and eliminated by adjustment: the adjusted hazard ratio (aHR) for all-cause mortality, for quintile 5 vs. quintile 1, was 1.10 [95% confidence interval (CI) 0.87-1.39]. However, both BMI and waist-to-height ratio showed that greater adiposity was associated with a higher risk of the primary outcome and HF hospitalization; this was more evident for waist-to-height ratio and persisted after adjustment e.g. the aHR for HF hospitalization for quintile 5 vs. quintile 1 of waist-to-height ratio was 1.39 (95% CI 1.06-1.81).

CONCLUSION

In patients with HFrEF, alternative anthropometric measurements showed no evidence for an 'obesity-survival paradox'. Newer indices that do not incorporate weight showed that greater adiposity was clearly associated with a higher risk of HF hospitalization.

Examining Community Engagement Research Strategies Used in Flint, Michigan: The Church Challenge

BACKGROUND

The ways in which researchers may need to adapt traditional community-based participatory research engagement strategies during ongoing community trauma are understudied. We describe our efforts to engage the Flint, Michigan community in community-based participatory research in the aftermath of the Flint Water Crisis.

OBJECTIVES

This manuscript describes 1) recruitment strategies selected before the Flint Water Crisis, 2) engagement lessons learned in the context of the Flint Water Crisis, and 3) barriers and facilitators encountered while engaging African American churches.

METHODS

Researchers collaborated with community partners to engage and recruit a traumatized Flint community into the Church Challenge, a multilevel intervention to reduce chronic disease burden.

LESSONS LEARNED

Recruitment and engagement strategies must be flexible, innovative, and may require nontraditional methods.

CONCLUSIONS

Flexibility and adaptability are crucial for engaging with a traumatized community. Community-based participatory research work in traumatized communities must acknowledge and respond to community trauma to be successful.

A comparative analysis of premature heart disease- and cancer-related mortality in women in the USA, 1999-2018

AIMS

To compare premature heart disease- and cancer-related deaths in women in the USA.

METHODS AND RESULTS

We analysed the US national database of death certificates of women aged <65 from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Wide-ranging Online Data for Epidemiologic Research database between 1999 and 2018. We measured annual percentage changes (APCs) in age-adjusted mortality rates (AAMRs) and years of potential life lost per 100 000 persons due to heart disease and cancer. Overall, cancer was a more prevalent cause of premature death compared with heart disease. Between 1999 and 2018, the AAMRs decreased for both cancer (61.9/100 000 to 45.6/100 000) and heart disease (29.2/100 000 to 22.6/100 000). However, while APC in AAMR for cancer declined consistently over time, after an initial decline, APC in AAMR for heart disease increased between 2010 and 2018 [0.53 95% confidence interval (0.18-0.89)], with a significant rise in Midwest, medium/small metros, and rural areas after 2008. Compared with cancer, APC in AAMR for heart disease increased in women aged 25-34 years [2.24 (0.30-4.22); 2013-18) and 55-64 years [0.46 (0.13-0.80); 2009-13], as well as Non-Hispanic (NH) Whites [APC, 0.79 (0.46-1.13); 2009-18] and NH American Indian/Alaskan Native [2.71 (0.59-4.87); 2011-2018]. Consequently, the mortality gap between cancer and heart disease has narrowed from an AAMR of 32.7/100 000 to 23.0/100 000.

CONCLUSIONS

The mortality gap between cancer and heart disease is decreasing among women <65 years. Intensive cardiovascular health interventions are required focusing on vulnerable young demographic subgroups and underserved regional areas to meet the American Heart Association's Impact Goal and Million Hearts Initiative.

Precision and Advanced Nano-Phytopharmaceuticals for Therapeutic Applications

Phytopharmaceuticals have been widely used globally since ancient times and acknowledged by healthcare professionals and patients for their superior therapeutic value and fewer side-effects compared to modern medicines. However, phytopharmaceuticals need a scientific and methodical approach to deliver their components and thereby improve patient compliance and treatment adherence. Dose reduction, improved bioavailability, receptor selective binding, and targeted delivery of phytopharmaceuticals can be likely achieved by molding them into specific nano-formulations. In recent decades, nanotechnology-based phytopharmaceuticals have emerged as potential therapeutic candidates for the treatment of various communicable and non-communicable diseases. Nanotechnology combined with phytopharmaceuticals broadens the therapeutic perspective and overcomes problems associated with plant medicine. The current review highlights the therapeutic application of various nano-phytopharmaceuticals in neurological, cardiovascular, pulmonary, and gastro-intestinal disorders. We conclude that nano-phytopharmaceuticals emerge as promising therapeutics for many pathological conditions with good compliance and higher acceptance.

Association between food insecurity and key metabolic risk factors for diet-sensitive non-communicable diseases in sub-Saharan Africa: a systematic review and meta-analysis

In previous studies, food insecurity has been hypothesised to promote the prevalence of metabolic risk factors on the causal pathway to diet-sensitive non-communicable diseases (NCDs). This systematic review and meta-analysis aimed to determine the associations between food insecurity and key metabolic risk factors on the causal pathway to diet-sensitive NCDs and estimate the prevalence of key metabolic risk factors among the food-insecure patients in sub-Saharan Africa. This study was guided by the Centre for Reviews and Dissemination (CRD) guidelines for undertaking systematic reviews in healthcare. The following databases were searched for relevant literature: PubMed, EBSCOhost (CINAHL with full text, Health Source - Nursing, MedLine). Epidemiological studies published between January 2015 and June 2019, assessing the associations between food insecurity and metabolic risk outcomes in sub-Saharan African populations, were selected for inclusion. Meta-analysis was performed with DerSimonian-Laird's random-effect model at 95% confidence intervals (CIs). The I² statistics reported the degree of heterogeneity between studies. Publication bias was assessed by visual inspection of the funnel plots for asymmetry, and sensitivity analyses were performed to assess the meta-analysis results' stability. The Mixed Methods Appraisal Tool (MMAT) - Version 2018 was used to appraise included studies critically. The initial searches yielded 11,803 articles, 22 cross-sectional studies were eligible for inclusion, presenting data from 26,609 (46.8% males) food-insecure participants, with 11,545 (42.1% males) reported prevalence of metabolic risk factors. Of the 22 included studies, we identified strong evidence of an adverse association between food insecurity and key metabolic risk factors for diet-sensitive NCDs, based on 20 studies. The meta-analysis showed a significantly high pooled prevalence estimate of key metabolic risk factors among food-insecure participants at 41.8% (95% CI: 33.2% to 50.8%, I² = 99.5% p-value < 0.00) derived from 14 studies. The most prevalent type of metabolic risk factors was dyslipidaemia 27.6% (95% CI: 6.5% to 54.9%), hypertension 24.7% (95% CI: 15.6% to 35.1%), and overweight 15.8% (95% CI: 10.6% to 21.7%). Notably, the prevalence estimates of these metabolic risk factors were considerably more frequent in females than males. In this systematic review and meta-analysis, exposure to food insecurity was adversely associated with a wide spectrum of key metabolic risk factors, such as obesity, dyslipidaemia, hypertension, underweight, and overweight. These findings highlight the need to address food insecurity as an integral part of diet-sensitive NCDs prevention programmes. Further, these findings should guide recommendations on the initiation of food insecurity status screening and treatment in clinical settings as a basic, cost-effective tool in the practice of preventive medicine in sub-Saharan Africa.PROSPERO registration number: PROSPERO 2019 CRD42019136638.

US trends in premature heart disease mortality over the past 50 years: Where do we go from here?

Despite the premature heart disease mortality rate among adults aged 25-64 decreasing by 70% since 1968, the rate has remained stagnant from 2011 on and, in 2017, still accounted for almost 1-in-5 of all deaths among this age group. Moreover, these overall findings mask important differences and continued disparities observed by demographic characteristics and geography. For example, in 2017, rates were 134% higher among men compared to women and 87% higher among blacks compared to whites, and, while the greatest burden remained in the southeastern US, almost two-thirds of all US counties experienced increasing rates among adults aged 35-64 during 2010-2017. Continued high rates of uncontrolled blood pressure and increasing prevalence of diabetes and obesity pose obstacles for re-establishing a downward trajectory for premature heart disease mortality; however, proven public health and clinical interventions exist that can be used to address these conditions.

Clinical significance of nutritional status in patients with chronic heart failure-a systematic review

Chronic heart failure (CHF) and nutritional disorders are recognized as major challenges for contemporary medicine. This study aims to estimate the role of nutritional disorders as risk factors for CHF development and prognostic factors for CHF patients and the outcome of nutritional intervention in CHF. Full-text English articles published between January 2013 and February 2019 available in the PubMed and Scopus databases were considered. Seventy-five prospective, retrospective, and cross-sectional studies as well as meta-analyses on patients with CHF, reporting correlation of their nutritional status with the risk and prognosis of CHF and the outcome of nutritional interventions in CHF were all included. Higher BMI increases the risk of CHF by 15-70%, especially when associated with severe, long-lasting and abdominal obesity. Overweight and obesity are associated with the reduction of mortality in CHF by 24-59% and 15-65%, respectively, and do not affect the outcome of invasive CHF treatment. Malnutrition increases the risk of mortality (by 2- to 10-fold) and the risk of hospitalization (by 1.2- to 1.7-fold). Favorable outcome of nutritional support in CHF patients was reported in a few studies. Nutritional disorders are prevalent in patients with CHF and play a significant role in the incidence, course, and prognosis of the disease. The existence of an "obesity paradox" in patients with CHF was confirmed. Further studies on the effect of nutritional support and body weight reduction in patients with CHF are necessary.

Association Between Regional Adipose Tissue Distribution and Risk of Heart Failure Among Blacks

BACKGROUND

Obesity is highly prevalent among blacks and is associated with a greater risk of heart failure (HF). However, the contribution of regional adiposity depots such as visceral adipose tissue (VAT) and abdominal subcutaneous adipose tissue toward risk of HF in blacks is unknown.

METHODS AND RESULTS

We included 2602 participants (mean age: 59 years, 35% men) from the Jackson Heart Study without prevalent HF who underwent computed tomography quantification of VAT and subcutaneous adipose tissue during the second visit (2005-2009). The associations between different adiposity measures and HF were evaluated using adjusted Cox models. There were 122 incident HF events over a median follow-up of 7.1 years. Higher amounts of VAT were associated with greater risk of HF in age- and sex-adjusted analyses (hazard ratio [95% CI] per 1-SD higher VAT: 1.29 [1.09-1.52]). This association was attenuated and not significant after additional adjustment for traditional HF risk factors and body mass index. Overall obesity, represented by body mass index, was associated with higher risk of HF independent of risk factors and VAT (hazard ratio [95% CI] per 1-kg/m² higher body mass index: 1.06 [1.02-1.11]). Subcutaneous adipose tissue was not associated with risk of HF in adjusted analyses.

CONCLUSIONS

In a community-dwelling black population, higher amounts of overall and visceral adiposity are associated with higher risk of HF. The association between VAT and HF risk in blacks may reflect differences in traditional HF risk factor burden. Future studies are needed to confirm this observation and clarify the independent role of different measures of adiposity on HF outcomes.

Neck circumference and cardiovascular outcomes: Insights from the Jackson Heart Study

BACKGROUND

Emerging data suggest that neck circumference (NC) is associated with cardiometabolic risk factors. Limited research is available regarding the association between NC and cardiovascular outcomes in African Americans.

METHODS

Using data from the Jackson Heart Study, we included participants with recorded NC measurements at baseline (2000-2004). Baseline characteristics for the included population were summarized by tertiles of NC. We then calculated age- and sex-adjusted cumulative incidence of clinical cardiovascular outcomes and performed Cox proportional-hazards with stepwise models.

RESULTS

Overall, 5,290 participants were categorized into tertiles of baseline NC defined as ≤37 cm (n = 2179), 38-40 cm (n = 1552), and >40 cm (n = 1559). After adjusting for age and sex, increasing NC was associated with increased risk of heart failure (HF) hospitalization (cumulative incidence = 13.4% [99% CI, 10.7-16.7] in the largest NC tertile vs 6.5% [99% CI, 4.7-8.8] in the smallest NC tertile), but not mortality, stroke, myocardial infarction, or coronary heart disease (all P ≥ .1). Following full risk adjustment, there was a nominal increase in the risk of HF hospitalization with increasing NC, but this was not statistically significant (hazard ratio per 1-cm increase, 1.04 [99% CI, 0.99-1.10], P = .06).

CONCLUSIONS

In this large cohort of African American individuals, a larger NC was associated with increased risk for HF hospitalization following adjustment for age and sex, but this risk was not statistically significant after adjusting for other clinical variables. Although NC is not independently associated with increased risk for cardiovascular events, it may offer prognostic information particularly related to HF hospitalization.

Obesity paradox in heart failure: statistical artifact, or impetus to rethink clinical practice?

The "obesity paradox" in heart failure (HF) is a phenomenon of more favorable prognosis, especially better survival, in obese versus normal-weight HF patients. Various explanations for the paradox have been offered; while different in their details, they typically share the premise that obesity per se is not actually the cause of reduced mortality in HF. Even so, there is a lingering question of whether clinicians should refrain from, or at least soft-pedal on, encouraging weight loss among their obese HF patients. Against the backdrop of recent epidemiological analysis by Banack and Kaufman, which speculates that collider stratification bias may generate the obesity paradox, we seek to address the aforementioned question. Following a literature review, which confirms that obese HF patients are demographically and clinically different from their normal-weight counterparts, we present four hypothetical data sets to illustrate a spectrum of possibilities regarding the obesity-mortality association. Importantly, these hypothetical data sets become indistinguishable from each other when a crucial variable is unmeasured or unreported. While thorough, the discussion of these data sets is intended to be accessible to a wide audience, especially including clinicians, without a prerequisite of familiarity with advanced epidemiology. We also furnish intuitive visual diagrams which depict a version of the obesity paradox. These illustrations, along with reflection on the distinction between weight and weight loss (and, furthermore, between voluntary and involuntary weight loss), lead to our recommendation for clinicians regarding the encouragement of weight loss. Finally, our conclusion explicitly addresses the questions posed in the title of this article.

Impact of Body Mass Index on Heart Failure by Race/Ethnicity From the Get With The Guidelines-Heart Failure (GWTG-HF) Registry

OBJECTIVES

This study sought to evaluate the influence of race/ethnicity on the relationship between body mass index (BMI) and mortality in heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF) and HF with reduced EF (HFrEF) patients.

BACKGROUND

Prior studies demonstrated an "obesity paradox" among overweight and obese patients, where they have a better HF prognosis than normal weight patients. Less is known about the relationship between BMI and mortality among diverse patients with HF, particularly given disparities in obesity and HF prevalence.

METHODS

The authors used Get With The Guidelines-Heart Failure data to assess the relationship between BMI and in-hospital mortality by using logistic regression modeling. The authors assessed 30-day and 1-year rates of all-cause mortality following discharge by using Cox regression modeling.

RESULTS

A total of 39,647 patients with HF were included (32,434 [81.8%] white subjects; 3,809 [9.6%] black subjects; 1,928 [4.9%] Hispanic subjects; 544 [1.4%] Asian subjects; and 932 [2.3%] other subjects); 59.7% of subjects had HFpEF, and 30.7% were obese. More black and Hispanic patients had Class I or higher obesity (BMI ≥30 kg/m²) than whites, Asians, or other racial/ethnic groups (p < 0.0001). Among subjects with HFpEF, higher BMI was associated with lower 30-day mortality, up to 30 kg/m² with a small risk increase above 30 kg/m² (BMI: 30 vs. 18.5 kg/m²), hazard ratio (HR) of 0.63 (95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.54 to 0.73). A modest relationship was observed in HFrEF subjects (BMI: 30 vs. 18.5 kg/m²; HR: 0.73; 95% CI: 0.60 to 0.89), with no risk increase above 30 kg/m². There were no significant interactions between BMI and race or ethnicity related to 30-day mortality (p > 0.05).

CONCLUSIONS

This work is one of the first suggesting the obesity paradox for 30-day mortality exists at all BMI levels in HFrEF but not in patients with HFpEF. Higher BMI was associated with lower 30-day mortality across racial/ethnic groups in a manner inconsistent with the J-shaped relationship noted for coronary artery disease. The differential slope of obesity and mortality among HFpEF and patients with HFrEF potentially suggests differing mechanistic factors, requiring further exploration.

Vildagliptin reduces cardiac ischemic-reperfusion injury in obese orchiectomized rats

Obesity and testosterone deprivation are associated with coronary artery disease. Testosterone and vildagliptin (dipeptidyl peptidase-4 inhibitors) exert cardioprotection during ischemic-reperfusion (I/R) injury. However, the effect of these drugs on I/R heart in a testosterone-deprived, obese, insulin-resistant model is unclear. This study investigated the effects of testosterone and vildagliptin on cardiac function, arrhythmias and the infarct size in I/R heart of testosterone-deprived rats with obese insulin resistance. Orchiectomized (O) or sham operated (S) male Wistar rats were divided into 2 groups to receive normal diet (ND) or high-fat diet (HFD) for 12 weeks. Orchiectomized rats in each diet were divided to receive testosterone (2 mg/kg), vildagliptin (3 mg/kg) or the vehicle daily for 4 weeks. Then, I/R was performed by a 30-min left anterior descending coronary artery ligation, followed by a 120-min reperfusion. LV function, arrhythmia scores, infarct size and cardiac mitochondrial function were determined. HFD groups developed insulin resistance at week 12. At week 16, cardiac function was impaired in NDO, HFO and HFS rats, but was restored in all testosterone- and vildagliptin-treated rats. During I/R injury, arrhythmia scores, infarct size and cardiac mitochondrial dysfunction were prominently increased in NDO, HFO and HFS rats, compared with those in NDS rats. Treatment with either testosterone or vildagliptin similarly attenuated these impairments during I/R injury. These finding suggest that both testosterone replacement and vildagliptin share similar efficacy for cardioprotection during I/R injury by decreasing the infarct size and attenuating cardiac mitochondrial dysfunction caused by I/R injury in testosterone-deprived rats with obese insulin resistance.