Outcomes associated with anemia in patients with heart failure

New insights and advances of sodium-glucose cotransporter 2 inhibitors in heart failure

Sodium-glucose cotransporter 2 inhibitors (SGLT2is) are newly emerging insulin-independent anti-hyperglycemic agents that work independently of β-cells. Quite a few large-scale clinical trials have proven the cardiovascular protective function of SGLT2is in both diabetic and non-diabetic patients. By searching all relevant terms related to our topics over the previous 3 years, including all the names of agents and their brands in PubMed, here we review the mechanisms underlying the improvement of heart failure. We also discuss the interaction of various mechanisms proposed by diverse works of literature, including corresponding and opposing viewpoints to support each subtopic. The regulation of diuresis, sodium excretion, weight loss, better blood pressure control, stimulation of hematocrit and erythropoietin, metabolism remodeling, protection from structural dysregulation, and other potential mechanisms of SGLT2i contributing to heart failure improvement have all been discussed in this manuscript. Although some remain debatable or even contradictory, those newly emerging agents hold great promise for the future in cardiology-related therapies, and more research needs to be conducted to confirm their functionality, particularly in metabolism, Na⁺-H⁺ exchange protein, and myeloid angiogenic cells.

Anemia in Patients With Diabetic Foot Ulcer

The aim of this study was to describe the characteristics of diabetic foot ulcer (DFU) patients with anemia and assess the relationship between anemia and DFU outcome. A retrospective cohort study was conducted on patients with DFU who attended our hospital from May 2007 to September 2014. All of the variables in the DFU patients with and without anemia were compared. In this study, 353 subjects were included, anemia was present in 236 patients (66.9%). These patients were significantly male, more likely to be a smoker, had a lower level of serum albumin and worse kidney function, more likely to use at least 2 types of antibiotics and had a worse perfusion of the lower limb, a larger and deeper ulcer and a more severe infection. A multivariate analysis showed that male sex, lower serum albumin, and worse kidney function were independent predictors of anemia in DFU patients. Additionally, in multivariate models, anemia was one of the variables that was most significantly associated with adverse outcomes and with similar findings for secondary outcomes. Receiver operating characteristic analysis determined a hemoglobin cutoff of 12.3 g/dL (females) and 12.1 g/dL (males) to identify a high-risk population of DFU patients who would have adverse outcomes. So anemia is common in patients with DFU. Although typically mild or moderate, anemia has been associated with substantial morbidity and mortality in patients with DFU.

A comprehensive assessment of the association between anemia, clinical covariates and outcomes in a population-wide heart failure registry

BACKGROUND

The aim was to investigate the prevalence of, predictors of, and association with mortality and morbidity of anemia in a large unselected cohort of patients with heart failure (HF) and reduced ejection fraction (HFrEF) and to explore if there were specific subgroups of high risk.

METHODS

In patients with HFrEF in the Swedish Heart Failure Registry, we assessed hemoglobin levels and associations between baseline characteristics and anemia with logistic regression. Using propensity scores for anemia, we assessed the association between anemia and outcomes with Cox regression, and performed interaction and sub-group analyses.

RESULTS

There were 24,511 patients with HFrEF (8303 with anemia). Most important independent predictors of anemia were higher age, male gender and renal dysfunction. One-year survival was 75% with anemia vs. 81% without (p < 0.001). In the matched cohort after propensity score the hazard ratio associated with anemia was for all-cause death 1.34 (1.28-1.40; p < 0.0001), CV mortality 1.28 (1.20-1.36; p < 0.0001), and combined CV mortality or HF hospitalization 1.24 (1.18-1.30; p < 0.0001). In interaction analyses, anemia was associated with greater risk with lower age, male gender, EF 30-39%, and NYHA-class I-II.

CONCLUSION

In HFrEF, anemia is associated with higher age, male gender and renal dysfunction and increased risk of mortality and morbidity. The influence of anemia on mortality was significantly greater in younger patients, in men, and in those with more stable HF. The clinical implication of these findings might be in the future to perform targeted treatment studies.

Red cell distribution width predicts short- and long-term outcomes of acute congestive heart failure more effectively than hemoglobin

The present study compared short- and long-term prognostic values of red blood cell distribution width (RDW) with those of hemoglobin (Hgb) among patients with acute congestive heart failure (CHF) in a cardiac care unit. The cross-sectional study examined data from 521 patients with acute CHF who were admitted to a cardiac care unit and followed up for 24 months (median). Mean Hgb levels in patients who succumbed (DIH) or remained alive (AIH) were 11.0±1.8 and 11.8±2.6 g/l (P>0.05), respectively. Median values of RDW were 16.2% and 14.4%, respectively (P<0.0001). During the 24-month follow-up, mean levels of Hgb in groups with and without endpoints were 11.4±2.5 and 12.5±2.4 g/dl (P<0.0001), respectively. Median RDW values were 14.9 and 13.8%, respectively (P<0.0001). Logistic regression analysis showed that in-hospital mortality was significantly associated with RDW (P=0.044), New York Heart Association (NYHA) functional class IV (P=0.0037), estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) (P=0.042) and C-reactive protein (P=0.0044), but not with Hgb (P=0.10). The multivariate Cox proportional hazard model selected RDW [hazard ratio (HR), 2.19; P<0.0001], left ventricular ejection fraction (HR 0.81, P=0.0016), age (10-year increase; HR 1.19, P=0.0017) and NYHA functional classes III/IV (HR 1.52, P=0.0029) as independent predictors of long-term outcomes after adjustment, but not Hgb (HR 1.01, P=0.86). Higher RDW values in acute CHF patients at admission were associated with worse short- and long-term outcomes and RDW values were more prognostically relevant than Hgb levels.

Prognostic role of echocardiographic and hematologic parameters in heart failure patients complicated with incidental pleural effusion diagnosed during echocardiographic evaluation

We aimed to determine long-term prognostic role of echocardiographic and hematologic parameters in heart failure patients complicated with incidental pleural effusion (PE) diagnosed during echocardiographic evaluation. The study was performed by evaluating patient records in which PE was incidentally detected during echocardiographic examination in a tertiary teaching hospital between Jan 2002 and Dec 2012. Total 151 patients with heart failure complicated with PE were analyzed. All patients' mortality data were collected from registry center of Social Insurance Institution which is officially responsible for recording all mortality data in Turkey. Detailed echocardiographic and hematologic parameters including creatinine, uric acid, albumin, sodium, potassium, hemoglobin at the time of hospital admission were analyzed. Data from 151 eligible patients were analyzed. We compared patients who died (n = 51) during follow-up with the survivors (n = 100) in terms of patients' echocardiographic and hematological features. Mean duration of follow-up was 71.5 ± 45.6 months. Fifty-one patients (33.8 %) died during this follow-up period. From all echocardiographic parameters only dilated left atrium (LA) diameter was found to be associated with a poor prognosis (p = 0.034). Low albumin, sodium and hemoglobin levels were associated with poor prognosis (p < 0.001, p = 0.002 and p = 0.007, respectively). We showed that dilated LA, as well as low albumin, low sodium and low hemoglobin levels had a worse prognostic significance than patients with normal LA size, within normal limits of albumin, sodium and hemoglobin levels in patients with heart failure complicated with PE determined incidentally by echocardiography.

Iron deficiency anemia in heart failure

Anemia and iron deficiency are quite prevalent in patients with heart failure (HF) and may overlap. Both anemia and iron deficiency are associated with worse symptoms and adverse clinical outcomes. In the past few years, there has been an enormous interest in the subject of iron deficiency and its management in patients with HF. In this review, the etiology and relevance of iron deficiency, iron metabolism in the setting of HF, studies on iron supplementation in patients with HF and potential cardiovascular effects of subclinical iron overload are discussed.

Investigation of 95 variants identified in a genome-wide study for association with mortality after acute coronary syndrome

Background

Genome-wide association studies (GWAS) have identified new candidate genes for the occurrence of acute coronary syndrome (ACS), but possible effects of such genes on survival following ACS have yet to be investigated.

Methods

We examined 95 polymorphisms in 69 distinct gene regions identified in a GWAS for premature myocardial infarction for their association with post-ACS mortality among 811 whites recruited from university-affiliated hospitals in Kansas City, Missouri. We then sought replication of a positive genetic association in a large, racially diverse cohort of myocardial infarction patients (N = 2284) using Kaplan-Meier survival analyses and Cox regression to adjust for relevant covariates. Finally, we investigated the apparent association further in 6086 additional coronary artery disease patients.

Results

After Cox adjustment for other ACS risk factors, of 95 SNPs tested in 811 whites only the association with the rs6922269 in MTHFD1L was statistically significant, with a 2.6-fold mortality hazard (P = 0.007). The recessive A/A genotype was of borderline significance in an age- and race-adjusted analysis of the entire combined cohort (N = 3095; P = 0.052), but this finding was not confirmed in independent cohorts (N = 6086).

Conclusions

We found no support for the hypothesis that the GWAS-identified variants in this study substantially alter the probability of post-ACS survival. Large-scale, collaborative, genome-wide studies may be required in order to detect genetic variants that are robustly associated with survival in patients with coronary artery disease.