Change in plasma volume and prognosis in acute decompensated heart failure: an observational cohort study

Improving the Prognostic Evaluation Precision of Hospital Outcomes for Heart Failure Using Admission Notes and Clinical Tabular Data: Multimodal Deep Learning Model

BACKGROUND

Clinical notes contain contextualized information beyond structured data related to patients' past and current health status.

OBJECTIVE

This study aimed to design a multimodal deep learning approach to improve the evaluation precision of hospital outcomes for heart failure (HF) using admission clinical notes and easily collected tabular data.

METHODS

Data for the development and validation of the multimodal model were retrospectively derived from 3 open-access US databases, including the Medical Information Mart for Intensive Care III v1.4 (MIMIC-III) and MIMIC-IV v1.0, collected from a teaching hospital from 2001 to 2019, and the eICU Collaborative Research Database v1.2, collected from 208 hospitals from 2014 to 2015. The study cohorts consisted of all patients with critical HF. The clinical notes, including chief complaint, history of present illness, physical examination, medical history, and admission medication, as well as clinical variables recorded in electronic health records, were analyzed. We developed a deep learning mortality prediction model for in-hospital patients, which underwent complete internal, prospective, and external evaluation. The Integrated Gradients and SHapley Additive exPlanations (SHAP) methods were used to analyze the importance of risk factors.

RESULTS

The study included 9989 (16.4%) patients in the development set, 2497 (14.1%) patients in the internal validation set, 1896 (18.3%) in the prospective validation set, and 7432 (15%) patients in the external validation set. The area under the receiver operating characteristic curve of the models was 0.838 (95% CI 0.827-0.851), 0.849 (95% CI 0.841-0.856), and 0.767 (95% CI 0.762-0.772), for the internal, prospective, and external validation sets, respectively. The area under the receiver operating characteristic curve of the multimodal model outperformed that of the unimodal models in all test sets, and tabular data contributed to higher discrimination. The medical history and physical examination were more useful than other factors in early assessments.

CONCLUSIONS

The multimodal deep learning model for combining admission notes and clinical tabular data showed promising efficacy as a potentially novel method in evaluating the risk of mortality in patients with HF, providing more accurate and timely decision support.

Sex Differences in the Evaluation of Congestion Markers in Patients with Acute Heart Failure

The impact of sex on the assessment of congestion in acute heart failure (AHF) is still a matter of debate. The objective of this analysis was to evaluate sex differences in the evaluation of congestion at admission in patients hospitalized for AHF. We consecutively enrolled 494 AHF patients (252 female). Clinical congestion assessment, B-type natriuretic peptide levels analysis, blood urea nitrogen to creatinine ratio (BUN/Cr), plasma volume status estimate (by means of Duarte or Kaplam-Hakim PVS), and hydration status evaluation through bioimpedance analysis were performed. There was no difference in medications between men and women. Women were older (79 ± 9 yrs vs. 77 ± 10 yrs, p = 0.005), and had higher left ventricular ejection fraction (45 ± 11% vs. 38 ± 11%, p < 0.001), and lower creatinine clearance (42 ± 25 mL/min vs. 47 ± 26 mL/min, p = 0.04). The prevalence of peripheral oedema, orthopnoea, and jugular venous distention were not significantly different between women and men. BUN/Cr (27 ± 9 vs. 23 ± 13, p = 0.04) and plasma volume were higher in women than men (Duarte PVS: 6.0 ± 1.5 dL/g vs. 5.1 ± 1.5 dL/g, p < 0.001; Kaplam−Hakim PVS: 7.9 ± 13% vs. −7.3 ± 12%, p < 0.001). At multivariate logistic regression analysis, female sex was independently associated with BUN/Cr and PVS. Female sex was independently associated with subclinical biomarkers of congestion such as BUN/Cr and PVS in patients with AHF. A sex-guided approach to the correct evaluation of patients with AHF might become the cornerstone for the correct management of these patients.

Discordance between estimated and measured changes in plasma volume among patients with acute heart failure

Aims

In acute heart failure (AHF), changes of venous haemoglobin (Hb) concentrations, haematocrit (Hct), and estimated plasma volume (ePV) have been proposed as surrogates of decongestion. These estimates are based on the theoretical assumptions that changes of Hb concentrations and Hct are driven by the intravascular volume status and that the intravascular Hb pool remains stable. The objective of this study was to assess the relationship of changes of measured plasma volume (mPV) with changes of Hb, Hct, and ePV in AHF.

Methods and results

We studied 36 AHF patients, who received two sequential assessments of mPV, measured red cell volume (mRCV) and measured total blood volume (mTBV) (48 h apart), during the course of diuretic therapy using a novel visible fluorescent injectate (VFI) technique based on the indicator dilution principle. Changes of ePV were calculated based on the Kaplan–Hakim or Strauss formula. AHF patients receiving diuretics (median intravenous furosemide equivalent 160 mg/48 h) displayed a wide range of changes of mPV (−25.4% to +37.0%). Changes in mPV were not significantly correlated with changes of Hb concentration [Pearson's r (r) = −0.241, P = 0.157], Hct (r = −0.307, P = 0.069), ePV_{Kaplan–Hakim} (r = 0.228, P = 0.182), or ePV_Strauss (r = 0.237, P = 0.163). In contrast to theoretical assumptions, changes of mTBV were poorly correlated with changes of Hb concentrations and some patients displayed unanticipated variability of mRCV, suggesting an unstable intravascular red cell pool.

Conclusions

Changes of Hb or Hct were not reflective of directly measured changes of intravascular volume status in AHF patients. Basing clinical assessment of decongestion on changes of Hb or Hct may misguide clinical decision‐making on an individual patient level.

One-year change in plasma volume and mortality in the Japanese general population: An observational cohort study

Background

Changes in plasma volume, a marker of plasma volume expansion and contraction, are gaining attention in the field of cardiovascular disease because of its role in the prevention and management of heart failure. However, it remains unknown whether a 1-year change in plasma volume is a risk factor for all-cause, cardiovascular, and non-cardiovascular mortality in the general population.

Methods and results

We used a nationwide database of 134,291 subjects (age 40–75 years) who participated in the annual “Specific Health Check and Guidance in Japan” check-up for 2 consecutive years between 2008 and 2011. A 1-year change in plasm volume was calculated using the Strauss–Davis-Rosenbaum formula. There were 220 cardiovascular deaths, 1,001 non-cardiovascular deaths including 718 cancer deaths, and 1,221 all-cause deaths during the follow-up period of 3.9 years. All subjects were divided into quintiles based on the 1-year change in plasma volume. Kaplan–Meier analysis demonstrated that the highest 5^th quintile had the greatest risk among the five groups. Multivariate Cox proportional hazard regression analysis demonstrated that a 1-year change in plasma volume was an independent risk factor for all-cause, cardiovascular, non-cardiovascular, and cancer deaths. The addition of a 1-year change in plasma volume to cardiovascular risk factors significantly improved the C-statistic, net reclassification, and integrated discrimination indexes.

Conclusions

Here, we have demonstrated for the first time that a 1-year change in plasma volume could be an additional risk factor for all-cause, cardiovascular, and non-cardiovascular (mainly cancer) mortality in the general population.

The effect of myxomatous mitral valve disease severity on packed cell volume in dogs

OBJECTIVES

The aim of this study was to examine whether associations between disease severity and packed cell volume exist in dogs with myxomatous mitral valve disease.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Data were selected from 289 dogs that had been examined at a research clinic (2004-2017) on multiple occasions (n=1465). American College of Veterinary Internal Medicine stage and echocardiographic measurements were entered in separate multivariable linear mixed effects models with packed cell volume as the dependent variable. Age, breed, sex, weight and blood urea nitrogen concentrations were additionally tested in these analyses to control for patient characteristics.

RESULTS

Packed cell volume (% whole blood) in stages B1 and B2 (B1: 42.62 ±0.27, P=0.001; B2: 41.77± 0.42, P < 0.001) was lower than stage A (44.57 ±0.53). In stage C, packed cell volume was greater than both preclinical stages (C: 43.84 ±0.46). When the administration of loop diuretics was included in statistical models, packed cell volume was inversely related to normalised left ventricular internal diameters (β: -2.37; 95% confidence intervals: -3.49, -1.25; P < 0.001).

CLINICAL SIGNIFICANCE

Dogs with myxomatous mitral valve disease may develop reductions in packed cell volume as their disease progresses. Although this finding was statistically significant at a population level, it should be noted that the differences described are relatively small. This, along with other causes of variation in packed cell volume, means that changes would be challenging to appreciate within individual patients. Plasma volume depletion following diuretic administration may explain why findings differed in stage C.

Estimated plasma volume status in heart failure: clinical implications and future directions

Congestion is one of the main predictors of poor outcome in patients with heart failure (HF). Assessing and monitoring congestion is essential for optimizing HF therapy. Among the various available methods, serial measurements of estimated plasma volume (ePVS) using routine blood count and/or body weight (e.g., the Strauss, Duarte, Hakim formulas) may be useful in HF management. Further prospective study is warranted to determine whether ePVS can help optimize decongestion therapy (loop diuretics, mineralocorticoid receptor antagonists, SGLT2i) in various HF settings. This narrative review summarizes the recent evidence supporting the association of ePVS with clinical congestion and outcome(s) and discusses future directions for monitoring ePVS in HF.

Plasma Volume Status and Its Association With In-Hospital and Postdischarge Outcomes in Decompensated Heart Failure

BACKGROUND

Prior analyses suggest an association between formula-based plasma volume (PV) estimates and outcomes in heart failure (HF). We assessed the association between estimated PV status by the Duarte-ePV and Kaplan Hakim (KH-ePVS) formulas, and in-hospital and postdischarge clinical outcomes, in the ASCEND-HF trial.

METHODS AND RESULTS

The KH-ePVS and Duarte-ePV were calculated on admission. We assessed associations with in-hospital worsening HF, 30-day composite cardiovascular mortality or HF rehospitalization and 180-day all-cause mortality. There were 6373 (89.2%), and 6354 (89.0%) patients who had necessary characteristics to calculate KH-ePVS and Duarte-ePV, respectively. There was no association between PV by either formula with in-hospital worsening HF. KH-ePVS showed a weak correlation with N-terminal prohormone BNP, and with measures of decongestion such as body weight change and urine output (r < 0.3 for all). Duarte-ePV was trending toward an association with worse 30-day (adjusted odds ratio 1.07, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.00-1.15, P = .058), but not 180-day outcomes (adjusted hazard ratio 1.03, 95% CI 0.97-1.09, P = .289). A continuous KH-ePVS of >0 (per 10-unit increase) was associated with improved 30-day outcomes (adjusted odds ratio 0.75, 95% CI 0.62-0.91, P = .004). The continuous KH-ePVS was not associated with 180-day outcomes (adjusted hazard ratio 1.05, 95% CI 0.98-1.12, P = .139).

CONCLUSIONS

Baseline PV estimates had a weak association with in-hospital measures of decongestion. The Duarte-ePV trended toward an association with early clinical outcomes in decompensated HF, and may improve risk stratification in HF.

Impact of calculated plasma volume status on all-cause and cardiovascular mortality: 4-year nationwide community-based prospective cohort study

Background

Plasma volume status (PVS), a marker of plasma volume expansion and contraction, is gaining attention in the field of cardiovascular disease because of its role in the prevention and of the management of heart failure. However, it remains undetermined whether an abnormal PVS is a risk for all-cause and cardiovascular mortality in the general population.

Methods and results

We used a nationwide database of 230,882 subjects (age 40–75 years) who participated in the annual “Specific Health Check and Guidance in Japan” check-up between 2008 and 2011. There were 586 cardiovascular deaths, 2,552 non-cardiovascular deaths, and 3,138 all-cause deaths during the follow-up period of four years. Abnormally high and low PVS were identified from the results of 80% of all subjects (high and low PVS ≥ 7 and < -13.3, respectively). Multivariate Cox proportional hazard regression analysis demonstrated that high PVS was an independent risk factor for all-cause, cardiovascular and non-cardiovascular deaths. Although low PVS was a positive risk factor for cardiovascular deaths as well, it was a negative risk factor for non-cardiovascular deaths. The addition of PVS to cardiovascular risk factors significantly improved the C-statistic, net reclassification, and integrated discrimination indexes.

Conclusions

This is the first prospective report to reveal the impact of PVS on all-cause and cardiovascular mortality. PVS could be an additional risk factor for all-cause and cardiovascular mortality in the general population.

Empagliflozin's Ameliorating Effect on Plasma Triglycerides: Association with Endothelial Function Recovery in Diabetic Patients with Coronary Artery Disease

AIM

So far, the mechanisms behind the cardiovascular benefits of sodium/glucose cotransporter 2 (SGLT2) inhibitors have not been fully clarified.

METHODS

In order to evaluate the effects of SGLT2 inhibitors on systemic hemodynamics, glucose metabolism, lipid profile, and endothelial function, 50 diabetic patients with established coronary artery disease (CAD) were included in this analysis and were given empagliflozin 10 mg/d. Cookie meal testing (carbohydrates: 75 g, fats: 28.5 g), endothelial function testing using flow-mediated dilatation (FMD), and body composition evaluation were performed before and after six months of treatment. Changes in %FMD between the treatment periods and its association with metabolic biomarkers were evaluated.

RESULTS

After six months of treatment, the body weight and body fat percentage decreased significantly, while the body muscle percentage increased significantly. The hemoglobin A1c level and fasting and postprandial plasma glucose levels were significantly decreased with treatment. Postprandial insulin secretion was also significantly suppressed and the insulin resistance index was significantly decreased. Furthermore, the fasting and postprandial triglyceride (TG) levels decreased significantly, while total ketone bodies increased significantly after the six-month treatment. While the plasma brain natriuretic peptide level was not changed, the C-reactive protein level was decreased and FMD was significantly improved after the six-month treatment. Multiple regression analysis showed that the strongest predictive factor of FMD improvement is change in the plasma TG levels.

CONCLUSION

SGLT2 inhibitors improve multiple metabolic parameters. Of these, a reduction in plasma TGs was strongly associated with endothelial function recovery in diabetic patients with CAD, and this reduction may be related to the cardiovascular benefits of SGLT2 inhibitors.

Estimated plasma volume and mortality: analysis from NHANES 1999-2014

BACKGROUND

While estimated plasma volume (ePV) has been studied in some diseases, such as heart failure, the relationship between ePV and all-cause or cause-specific mortality remains unexplored. Therefore, we investigated the association between ePV and all-cause, cardiovascular (CV), and cancer-related mortality among adults in the US.

METHOD

We used the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) from 1999 to 2014 and included participants older than 18 years. Mortality data were obtained from the National Death Index and matched to the NHANES participants. ePV was derived using Strauss formula. Cox proportional hazard models were fit to estimate hazard ratios for all-cause and cause-specific mortality without and with adjustment for potential confounders.

RESULTS

Of the 42,705 participants, 5194 died (1121 CV deaths) during mean follow-up of 8.0 (range 0-16.7) years. Mean ± SD age and ePV of the participants were 47.2 ± 19.4 years and 4.2 ± 0.84, respectively. In unadjusted models, 1 unit increase in ePV was associated with 29%, 32%, and 16% increased risk in all-cause (HR 1.29; 95% CI 1.24, 1.35), CV (HR 1.32; 95% CI 1.22, 1.43), and cancer-related (HR 1.16; 95% CI 1.05, 1.27) mortality. Risk remained high in adjusted models (all-cause HR 1.24; 95% CI 1.18, 1.30; CV HR 1.22; 95% CI 1.11, 1.34; cancer-specific HR 1.24; 95% CI 1.10, 1.39). When comparing the highest and lowest ePV quartiles, similar results were noted (adjusted all-cause HR 1.64; 95% CI 1.45, 1.86; CV HR 1.52; 95% CI 1.19, 1.93; cancer HR 1.85; 95% CI 1.38, 2.49).

CONCLUSION

An increase in ePV was associated with increased all-cause and cause-specific mortality. Further studies are needed to explore the mechanism of this relationship and translation into a better outcome.

Prognostic Value of Calculated Plasma Volume Status in Patients Admitted for Acute Decompensated Heart Failure - A Prospective Comparative Study With Other Indices of Plasma Volume

Background: Congestion is one of the main predictors of poor outcome in patients with heart failure (HF); thus, a simple tool to evaluate plasma volume (PV), which can be used for risk stratification of HF patients, is necessary. We sought to compare the prognostic values of commonly used formulas for the estimation of PV and relative PV status (PVS) in patients admitted with acute decompensated HF (ADHF). Methods and Results: We analyzed 384 consecutive ADHF patients who survived to discharge. The PV was calculated by 3 commonly used formulas (Strauss, Kaplan, and Hakim), and the relative PVS was calculated using the Hakim formula at both admission and discharge. The primary endpoint was a composite of all-cause mortality and hospitalization for worsening HF. The secondary endpoints were pump failure death (PFD) and sudden cardiac death (SCD). During a median follow-up of 743 days, 175 patients reached the primary endpoint, 28 patients had PFD, and 20 patients had SCD. Multivariate Cox analysis revealed that among the PV indices, only the PVS values at admission and discharge were independent predictors of the primary endpoint. In addition, the PVS values at admission and discharge were independent predictors of PFD and SCD in the multivariate analysis. Conclusions: Among the indices of PV, the calculated PVS may be the most useful for predicting prognosis in ADHF patients.

Prognostic implications of plasma volume status estimates in heart failure with preserved ejection fraction: insights from TOPCAT

AIMS

Plasma volume expansion is clinically and prognostically relevant in individuals with heart failure. Prior cohorts either excluded or had limited representation of patients with heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF). We aimed to examine the relationship between calculated plasma volume status (PVS) and outcomes in HFpEF.

METHODS AND RESULTS

We included enrollees from the Treatment of Preserved Cardiac Function Heart Failure with an Aldosterone Antagonist Trial (TOPCAT) with available haematocrit and weight data (n = 3414). Plasma volume was derived from the Hakim formula and compared to estimates of ideal plasma volume to generate a relative PVS. Multivariable Cox proportional hazards models tested the association of PVS with clinical outcomes. The median PVS was -11.9% (25th-75th percentile: -17.2% to -6.4%) and the majority (91.1%) had PVS consistent with relative volume contraction (PVS ≤ 0%) as opposed to volume expansion (8.9%, PVS > 0%). After multivariable adjustment, each 5% increment in PVS was associated with a ∼11%, 14%, and 12% higher risk for the primary composite endpoint, all-cause death, and heart failure hospitalization, respectively (P < 0.002 for all), but not cardiovascular death (P = 0.051). After additional adjustment for natriuretic peptides, PVS only remained associated with heart failure hospitalization (HR 1.10, 95% confidence interval 1.001-1.21, P = 0.047). There were no significant interactions between spironolactone use and the PVS-risk relationship for any endpoint (P > 0.1 for all).

CONCLUSION

Higher calculated estimates of PVS were independently associated with a higher risk of long-term clinical outcomes in HFpEF, and particularly, heart failure hospitalization.

Relation of Volume Overload to Clinical Outcomes in Acute Heart Failure (From ASCEND-HF)

We aimed to study whether jugular venous distension (JVD) and peripheral edema were associated with worse outcomes in patients with acute heart failure in the Acute Study of Clinical Effectiveness of Nesiritide in Decompensated Heart Failure trial. Of 7,141 patients in Acute Study of Clinical Effectiveness of Nesiritide in Decompensated Heart Failure, 7,135 had complete data on baseline JVD and peripheral edema status. Patients were grouped according to baseline examination findings: (1) no JVD or peripheral edema; (2) JVD only; (3) peripheral edema only; (4) JVD and peripheral edema. We used unadjusted and adjusted logistic or Cox regression analyses to assess associations between groups and the outcomes of index length of stay (LOS), in-hospital mortality, 30- and 180-day all-cause mortality. Patients with peripheral edema (Groups 3 and 4) had higher body mass index, NT-proBNP and BNP values, and more co-morbid disease, and reduced left ventricular ejection fraction compared with patients in Groups 1-2. The median (25th-75th) LOS for Groups 1-4 was 6 (4-9), 5 (4-8), 7 (4-11), and 6 days (4-10), respectively. For the 30-day and 180-day outcomes, adjusted analyses found no significant difference in risk for patients presenting with JVD only or peripheral edema only as compared with patients without evidence of JVD or peripheral edema (p >0.05 for all). The presence of both JVD and peripheral edema was associated with an adjusted 24% increase in risk for all-cause mortality at 30 days, but no risk difference at 180 days. In conclusion, in patients with heart failure presenting to the hospital with dyspnea, the presence of peripheral edema is associated with a longer hospital LOS, but no difference in short- and long-term clinical outcomes when compared with patients wihout peripheral edema. The combination of peripheral edema and JVD identifies the highest risk cohort for poor clinical outcomes.

Worsening renal function during decongestion among patients hospitalized for heart failure: Findings from the Evaluation Study of Congestive Heart Failure and Pulmonary Artery Catheterization Effectiveness (ESCAPE) trial

INTRODUCTION

Worsening renal function (WRF) can occur throughout a hospitalization for acute heart failure (HF). However, decongestion can be measured in different ways and the prognostic implications of WRF in the setting of different measures of decongestion are unclear.

METHODS

Patients (N = 433) from the ESCAPE were classified by measures of decongestion during hospitalization: hemodynamic (right atrial pressure ≤8 mmHg and/or wedge pressure ≤15 mmHg at discharge), clinical (≤1 sign of congestion at discharge), hemoconcentration (any increase in hemoglobin) and estimated plasma volume using the Hakim formula (5% reduction in plasma volume). WRF was defined as creatinine increase ≥0.3 mg/dl during hospitalization. The association between WRF and 180-day all-cause death was assessed.

RESULTS

Successful decongestion was observed in 124 (60%) patients by hemodynamics, 204 (49%) by clinical exam, 173 (47%) by hemoconcentration, and 165 (45%) by plasma volume. There was no agreement between the hemodynamic assessment and other decongestion measures in up to 43% of cases. Persistent congestion with concomitant WRF at discharge was associated with worse outcomes compared to patients without congestion and WRF. Among patients decongested at discharge, in-hospital WRF was not significantly associated with 180-day all-cause death, when using hemodynamic, clinical or estimated plasma volume as measures of decongestion (P > .05 for all markers).

CONCLUSIONS

In patients hospitalized for HF, although there was disagreement across common measures of decongestion, in-hospital WRF was not associated with increased hazard of all-cause mortality among patients successfully decongested at discharge.

Calculated Estimates of Plasma Volume in Patients With Chronic Heart Failure-Comparison With Measured Volumes

BACKGROUND

Calculated estimates of plasma volume (PV) have been developed with the use of hemoglobin/hematocrit-body weight-based methods. The accuracy of such formula-derived values has not been thoroughly evaluated. The objective of this analysis was to compare the calculated estimate and a quantitative measure of PV in patients with chronic heart failure (HF).

METHODS AND RESULTS

PV was measured with the use of a standardized computer-based indicator-dilution-labeled albumin technique in 110 patients with clinically stable chronic HF and correlated with paired Kaplan-Hakim (K-H) and Strauss formula estimates of PV. The K-H formula underestimated (3.4 ± 0.7 L) and the Strauss formula overestimated (5.3 ± 1.5 L) PV relative to the measured volume (4.3 ± 1.1 L). Calculated PV was only moderately correlated with measured PV by the K-H formula (r = 0.64; P < .001) and weakly by the Strauss formula (r = 0.285; P = .003). Strauss formula estimates of change (%) in PV were also poorly correlated with paired measured changes in PV (r = 0.162; P = .999; n = 40).

CONCLUSIONS

Calculated estimates of PV demonstrate limited association with measured volumes. These findings indicate that although formula-based estimates of PV have been shown to have prognostic value, they are limited in their reliability for volume management in patients with chronic HF.

Plasma Volume and Renal Function Predict Six-Month Survival after Hospitalization for Acute Decompensated Heart Failure

Background

Plasma volume (PV) is contracted in stable patients with heart failure (HF) due to decongestion strategies. On the other hand, increased PV can adversely affect the trajectory of HF. We therefore examined the effects of increased percentage change in PV (%ΔPV), blood urea nitrogen (BUN), and %ΔPV stratified by BUN and glomerular filtration rate (GFR) on survival after discharge in patients hospitalized for acute decompensated HF (ADHF).

Methods

We used the Strauss-Davis-Rosenbaum formula to calculate the %ΔPV between baseline and hospital discharge in a cohort from the Evaluation Study of Congestive Heart Failure and Pulmonary Artery Catheterization Effectiveness trial (ESCAPE). Kaplan-Meier curves were constructed for survival over 6 months. Cox proportional hazards regression was used to obtain adjusted hazard ratios (HR) and 95% confidence intervals (95% CI) for the associations between survival after discharge and %ΔPV, BUN, and %ΔPV stratified by BUN and GFR.

Results

Of the 324 patients included in our study (age 56.1 ± 13.6 years, 26.5% female), those with increased or no %ΔPV at discharge were less likely to survive at 6 months compared with those having reduced %ΔPV (log rank, p = 0.0093). Increased %ΔPV (HR 1.08 per 10% increase; 95% CI: 1.02-1.14) and increased BUN at discharge (HR 1.02 per mg/dL; 95% CI: 1.01-1.03) were independently associated with worse survival. Decreasing %ΔPV had a greater association with improved survival in patients with discharge BUN <31 mg/dL (p = 0.02) and discharge GFR >40 mL/min/1.73 m² (p = 0.047).

Conclusions

Increased %ΔPV and BUN at discharge predicted worse 6-month survival in patients with ADHF. Decreased %ΔPV with low BUN or high GFR at discharge was associated with improved survival.

Dapagliflozin: potential beneficial effects in the prevention and treatment of renal and cardiovascular complications in patients with type 2 diabetes

INTRODUCTION

Diabetic kidney disease is the leading cause of end-stage renal disease, a significant contributor to cardiovascular (CV) disease, responsible for much of the morbidity and mortality in patients with type 2 diabetes (T2DM). Strategies to slow or prevent the onset and progression of diabetic kidney disease are critical for effectively managing T2DM and reducing CV risk. Sodium-glucose cotransporter 2 (SGLT2) inhibitors are effective antidiabetic agents, which may provide nephroprotective and CV protective effects. Areas covered: This review examines the role of the kidney in glucose homeostasis, discusses renal hemodynamic changes in diabetes, and outlines the major hypotheses regarding the mechanisms underlying renal injury in diabetes. The potential benefits of SGLT2 inhibitors in the prevention and treatment of CV complications in patients with T2DM are reviewed, with particular focus on dapagliflozin. Expert opinion: Dapagliflozin and other SGLT2 inhibitors have the capacity to decrease hyperglycemia and visceral fat, components of the metabolic syndrome particularly associated with the progression of CV disease. However, the mechanisms of action of SGLT2 inhibitors resulting in their positive CV effects remain unclear. Furthermore, the mechanism of action of SGLT2 inhibitors on heart function in non-diabetic patients with decompensated heart failure remains to be explored.