The Universal Definition of Heart Failure: Strengths and Opportunities

The Impact of Sacubitril/Valsartan on Heart Failure Patient with Reduced Left Ventricular Ejection Fraction: Single Center Retrospective Study in Saudi Arabia

Background

Sacubitril/valsartan (S/V) is used in managing heart failure with reduced ejection fraction (HFrEF), reducing morbidity and mortality while improving symptoms and prognosis. This study aims to evaluate the effectiveness of S/V in patients with reduced left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) and its safety.

Methods

 This retrospective cohort study included adult patients aged ≥18 years diagnosed with HFrEF, receiving S/V, and followed up at a tertiary hospital in Riyadh. Primary outcomes included improvements in LVEF on echocardiography and the number of hospitalizations due to acute decompensated heart failure (ADHF). Secondary outcomes assessed the safety profile of S/V. Multinomial logistic regression analysis was performed with statistical significance set at P < 0.05. .

Results

The study included 107 patients: 80 with LVEF < 30% and 27 with LVEF 30-40%. Six-month follow-up, LVEF improvement was categorized into three groups: no improvement, LVEF increased by 1 to <10 points, and LVEF increased by ≥10 points. The LVEF was similar across groups (P = 0.59). Although hospitalizations due to ADHF were not significantly different between groups, they numerically decreased after initiating S/V (P = 0.1). S/V was generally well tolerated.

Conclusion

This study suggests no significant benefit from S/V regarding LVEF improvement. It is recommended that heart failure clinics assess and titrate S/V to the maximum tolerated dose.

Impaired coenzyme A homeostasis in cardiac dysfunction and benefits of boosting coenzyme A production with vitamin B5 and its derivatives in the management of heart failure

Coenzyme A (CoA) is an essential cofactor required for over a hundred metabolic reactions in the human body. This cofactor is synthesized de novo in our cells from vitamin B5, also known as pantothenic acid, a water-soluble vitamin abundantly present in vegetables and animal-based foods. Neurodegenerative disorders, cancer, and infectious diseases have been linked to defects in de novo CoA biosynthesis or reduced levels of this coenzyme. There is now accumulating evidence that CoA limitation is a critical pathomechanism in cardiac dysfunction too. In the current review, we will summarize our current knowledge on CoA and heart failure, with emphasis on two primary cardiomyopathies, phosphopantothenoylcysteine synthetase and phosphopantothenoylcysteine decarboxylase deficiency disorders biochemically characterized by a decreased level of CoA in patients' samples. Hence, we will discuss the potential benefits of CoA restoration in these diseases and, more generally, in heart failure, by vitamin B5 and its derivatives pantethine and 4'-phosphopantetheine.

Heart Failure Preserved Ejection Fraction in Women: Insights Learned from Imaging

While the prevalence of heart failure, in general, is similar in men and women, women experience a higher rate of HFpEF compared to HFrEF. Cardiovascular risk factors, parity, estrogen levels, cardiac physiology, and altered response to the immune system may be at the root of this difference. Studies have found that in response to increasing age and hypertension, women experience more concentric left ventricle remodeling, more ventricular and arterial stiffness, and less ventricular dilation compared to men, which predisposes women to developing more diastolic dysfunction. A multi-modality imaging approach is recommended to identify patients with HFpEF. Particularly, appreciation of sex-based differences as described in this review is important in optimizing the evaluation and care of women with HFpEF.

CKD-Associated Cardiovascular Mortality in the United States: Temporal Trends From 1999 to 2020

Rationale & Objective

Chronic kidney disease (CKD) is associated with an increased risk of cardiovascular (CV) mortality, but there are limited data on temporal trends disaggregated by sex, race, and urban/rural status in this population.

Study Design

Retrospective observational study.

Setting & Participants

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Wide-Ranging, Online Data for Epidemiologic Research database.

Exposure & Predictors

Patients with CKD and end-stage kidney disease (ESKD) stratified according to key demographic groups.

Outcomes

Etiologies of CKD- and ESKD-associated mortality between 1999 and 2000.

Analytical Approach

Presentation of age-adjusted mortality rates (per 100,000 people) characterized by CV categories, ethnicity, sex (male or female), age categories, state, and urban/rural status.

Results

Between 1999 and 2020, we identified 1,938,505 death certificates with CKD (and ESKD) as an associated cause of mortality. Of all CKD-associated mortality, the most common etiology was CV, with 31.2% of cases. Between 1999 and 2020, CKD-related age-adjusted mortality increased by 50.2%, which was attributed to an 86.6% increase in non-CV mortality but a 7.1% decrease in CV mortality. Black patients had a higher rate of CV mortality throughout the study period, although Black patients experienced a 38.6% reduction in mortality whereas White patients saw a 2.7% increase. Hispanic patients experienced a greater reduction in CV mortality over the study period (40% reduction) compared to non-Hispanic patients (3.6% reduction). CV mortality was higher in urban areas in 1999 but in rural areas in 2020.

Limitations

Reliance on accurate characterization of causes of mortality in a large dataset.

Conclusions

Among patients with CKD-related mortality in the United States between 1999 and 2020, there was an increase in all-cause mortality though a small decrease in CV-related mortality. Overall, temporal decreases in CV mortality were more prominent in Hispanic versus non-Hispanic patients and Black patients versus White patients.

Clinical implications of the universal definition for the prevention and treatment of heart failure

The diagnosis of heart failure (HF) primarily relies on signs and symptoms that are neither sensitive nor specific. This impedes timely diagnosis and delays effective therapies or interventions, despite the availability of several evidence-based treatments for HF. Through monumental collaborative efforts from representatives of HF societies worldwide, the universal definition of HF was published in 2021, to provide the necessary standardized framework required for clinical management, clinical trials, and research. This review elaborates the key concepts of the new universal definition of HF, highlighting the key merits and potential avenues, which can be nuanced further in future iterations. We also discuss the key implications of the universal definition document from the perspectives of various stakeholders within the healthcare framework, including patients, care providers, system/payers and policymakers.

Management and outcomes of acute myocardial infarction in patients with pre-existing heart failure: an analysis of 2 million patients from the national inpatient sample

BACKGROUND

Inpatient management and outcomes of patients presenting with acute myocardial infarction (AMI) with a history of heart failure (HF) have not been well characterized.

METHODS

: Hospitalizations for AMI from the Nationwide Inpatient Sample (2015-2018) were categorized according to a pre-existing diagnosis of HF with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF), reduced ejection fraction (HFrEF), or absence of HF. Utilization of invasive management and in-hospital outcomes were analyzed.

RESULTS

: Among 2,434,639 hospitalizations with an AMI, 19.8% had a history of HFrEF and 11.9% had a history of HFpEF. Coronary angiography and PCI respectively were performed significantly less among patients with HF (36.6% and 17.4% in HFpEF, 51.1% and 24.6% in HFrEF, and 64.4% and 42.3% among patients without HF, all p<0.0001). Mortality was more common among patients with HFrEF (10.3%) and HFpEF (8.3%) when compared to patients without a history of HF (6.4%), p<0.0001. In multivariable analyses compared to patients without HF, mortality was higher among patients with HFrEF (aOR 1.27, CI 1.26-1.29, p<0.0001) but not different among patients with HFpEF.

CONCLUSION

HF is a common pre-existing comorbidity among patients presenting with AMI and is associated with lower utilization of invasive procedures and higher complications including mortality, particularly among those with HFrEF.