Discordance Between Severity of Heart Failure as Determined by Patient Report Versus Cardiopulmonary Exercise Testing

Association between endothelin-1, nitric oxide, and Gensini score in chronic coronary syndrome

BACKGROUND

Chronic coronary syndrome (CCS) is a major public health burden; its pathogenesis involves atherosclerosis and endothelial dysfunction. Endothelin-1 (ET-1) and nitric oxide (NO) are vasoactive substances synthesized by endothelial cells that play a crucial role in CCS development. The Gensini score (GS) is used for evaluating CCS severity based on lumen segment changes, stenosis degree, and coronary stenosis site.

METHODS

This prospective study included 71 patients with CCS; we evaluated the relationships between GS and ET-1 and NO serum levels were evaluated in these patients. The GS was calculated for all patients. Serum ET-1 & NO levels among other laboratory parameters were measured.

RESULTS

The high GS group had higher ET-1 and relatively NO expressions in the than the low GS group. GS was positively correlated with ET-1 and negatively correlated with NO, T4, and TSH levels. The results of the multiple linear regression analysis showed that ET-1 had the most significant effect on GS.

CONCLUSIONS

We found a strong association between ET-1, NO, and CCS severity. A combination of ET-1, NO, and GS is an essential predictor of CCS disease severity.

Lack of durable natriuresis and objective decongestion following SGLT2 inhibition in randomized controlled trials of patients with heart failure

Patients with heart failure have increased cardiac filling pressures, circulating natriuretic peptides, and physical signs of fluid retention, which are related to sodium retention by the kidneys and are alleviated by conventional diuretics. Sodium-glucose cotransporter 2 (SGLT2) inhibitors interfere with sodium and glucose reabsorption in the proximal renal tubule, but they evoke a marked counterregulatory activation of sodium and water reabsorption in distal nephron segments, which opposes and negates any diuretic effect. Nevertheless, it has been postulated that SGLT2 inhibitors modulate the volume set point, leading selectively to decongestion in patients with fluid overload. This hypothesis was tested in a review of 15 randomized controlled trials of SGLT2 inhibitors in patients with heart failure, with 7 trials focusing on urinary volume within the first week, and 8 trials focusing on objective decongestion at 12 weeks. In trials < 1 week, SGLT2 inhibition increased urine volume in the first 24 h, but typically without a change in urinary sodium excretion, and this diuresis was not sustained. In 8 trials of 12 weeks' duration, none reported alleviation of edema, ascites or pulmonary rales. The 2 trials that evaluated changes in left ventricular filling pressure noted no or small changes (1-2 mm Hg); the two trials that measured interstitial lung water or total blood volume found no effect; and 6 of the 7 trials found no decrease in circulating natriuretic peptides. Therefore, randomized controlled trials do not indicate that SGLT2 inhibitors produce a durable natriuresis or objective decongestion in patients with heart failure.

Discordance Between Severity of Heart Failure as Determined by Patient Report Versus Cardiopulmonary Exercise Testing

Background

Patient‐reported outcomes may be discordant to severity of illness as assessed by objective parameters. The frequency of this discordance and its influence on clinical outcomes in patients with heart failure is unknown.

Methods and Results

In HF‐ACTION (Heart Failure: A Controlled Trial Investigating Outcomes of Exercise Training), participants (N=2062) had baseline assessment of health‐related quality of life via the Kansas City Cardiomyopathy Clinical Summary score (KCCQ‐CS) and objective severity by cardiopulmonary stress testing (minute ventilation [V_E]/carbon dioxide production [VCO₂] slope). We defined 4 groups by median values: 2 concordant (lower severity: high KCCQ‐CS and low V_E/VCO₂ slope; higher severity: low KCCQ‐CS and high V_E/VCO₂ slope) and 2 discordant (symptom minimizer: high KCCQ‐CS and high V_E/VCO₂ slope; symptom magnifier: low KCCQ‐CS and low V_E/VCO₂ slope). The association of group assignment with mortality was assessed in adjusted Cox models. Symptom magnification (23%) and symptom minimization (23%) were common. Despite comparable KCCQ‐CS scores, the risk of all‐cause mortality in symptom minimizers versus concordant–lower severity participants was increased significantly (hazard ratio [HR], 1.79; 95% CI, 1.27–2.50; P<0.001). Furthermore, despite symptom magnifiers having a KCCQ‐CS score 28 points lower (poorer QOL) than symptom minimizers, their risk of mortality was not increased (HR, 0.79; 95% CI, 0.57–1.1; P=0.18, respectively).

Conclusions

Severity of illness by patient report versus cardiopulmonary exercise testing was frequently discordant. Mortality tracked more closely with the objective data, highlighting the importance of relying not only on patient report, but also objective data when risk stratifying patients with heart failure.