The Prognostic Value of Anemia in Patients with Preserved, Mildly Reduced and Recovered Ejection Fraction

Carbohydrate antigen 125: a useful marker of congestion, fibrosis, and prognosis in heart failure with preserved ejection fraction

AIMS

Heart failure (HF) with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF) is a disease associated with high morbidity and mortality, for which it is difficult to identify patients with the poorest prognosis in routine clinical practice. Carbohydrate antigen 125 (CA 125) has been shown to be a potential marker of congestion and prognosis in HF. We sought to better characterize HFpEF patients with high CA 125 levels by using a multimodal approach.

METHODS AND RESULTS

We prospectively enrolled 139 HFpEF patients (78 ± 8 years; 60% females) and 25 controls matched for age and sex (77 ± 5 years; 60% females). They underwent two-dimensional echocardiography, cardiac magnetic resonance with late gadolinium enhancement [including extracellular volume (ECV) measurement], and serum measurements of CA 125 level. The primary endpoint of the study was a composite of all-cause mortality or first HF hospitalization. The prognostic impact of CA 125 was determined using Cox proportional hazard models. Median CA 125 levels were significantly higher in HFpEF patients compared with controls [CA 125: 23.5 (14.5-44.7) vs. 14.6 (10.3-21.0) U/mL, P = 0.004]. CA 125 levels were positively correlated with a congestion marker [N-terminal pro-brain natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP) levels, Pearson's r = 0.37, P < 0.001] and markers of cardiac fibrosis estimated by both ECV (Pearson's r = 0.26, P = 0.003) and fibroblast growth factor 23 levels (Pearson's r = 0.50, P < 0.001). Over a median follow-up of 49 (22-64) months, 97 HFpEF patients reached the composite endpoint. Even after adjustment for the Meta-Analysis Global Group in Chronic risk score, a CA 125 level ≥35 U/mL was still a significant predictor of the composite endpoint [hazard ratio (HR): 1.58 (1.04-2.41), P = 0.032] and more particularly of HF hospitalization [HR: 1.81 (1.13-2.92), P = 0.014]. In contrast, NT-proBNP levels were not an independent predictor.

CONCLUSIONS

CA 125 levels were significantly higher in HFpEF patients compared with controls matched for age and sex and were associated with markers of congestion and cardiac fibrosis. CA 125 levels were a strong and independent predictor of HF hospitalization in HFpEF patients. These data suggest a potential value of CA 125 as a biomarker for staging and risk prediction in HFpEF.

Precision Cardiology: Phenotype-targeted Therapies for HFmrEF and HFpEF

Heart failure with mid-range ejection fraction (HFmrEF) and preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF) represent over half of heart failure cases but lack proven effective therapies beyond sodium-glucose cotransporter 2 inhibitor and diuretics. HFmrEF and HFpEF are heterogeneous conditions requiring precision phenotyping to enable tailored therapies. This review covers concepts on precision medicine approaches for HFmrEF and HFpEF. Areas discussed include HFmrEF mechanisms, anti-inflammatory and antifibrotic treatments for obesity-related HFpEF, If inhibition for HFpEF with atrial fibrillation, and mineralocorticoid receptor antagonism for chronic kidney disease-HFpEF. Incorporating precision phenotyping and matched interventions in HFmrEF and HFpEF trials will further advance therapy compared to blanket approaches.

Heart Failure with Preserved Ejection Fraction: How to Deal with This Chameleon

Heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF) is characterized by a notable heterogeneity in both phenotypic and pathophysiological features, with a growing incidence due to the increase in median age and comorbidities such as obesity, arterial hypertension, and cardiometabolic disease. In recent decades, the development of new pharmacological and non-pharmacological options has significantly impacted outcomes, improving clinical status and reducing mortality. Moreover, a more personalized and accurate therapeutic management has been demonstrated to enhance the quality of life, diminish hospitalizations, and improve overall survival. Therefore, assessing the peculiarities of patients with HFpEF is crucial in order to obtain a better understanding of this disorder. Importantly, comorbidities have been shown to influence symptoms and prognosis, and, consequently, they should be carefully addressed. In this sense, it is mandatory to join forces with a multidisciplinary team in order to achieve high-quality care. However, HFpEF remains largely under-recognized and under-treated in clinical practice, and the diagnostic and therapeutic management of these patients remains challenging. The aim of this paper is to articulate a pragmatic approach for patients with HFpEF focusing on the etiology, diagnosis, and treatment of HFpEF.

Anemia and Iron Deficiency Predict All-Cause Mortality in Patients with Heart Failure and Preserved Ejection Fraction: 6-Year Follow-Up Study

AIMS

The aim of this study was to assess the prevalence of anemia and iron deficiency in patients with heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF) and its impact on clinical outcomes.

METHODS

We retrospectively analyzed 212 patients with HFpEF and identified anemia as a serum hemoglobin level of less than 13 g/dL in men and less than 12 g/dL in women. Additionally, ID was defined as a serum ferritin concentration < 100 ng/mL or 100-299 ng/mL with transferrin saturation < 20%. Patients were followed up for an average of 66.2 ± 12.1 months, with the endpoint being all-cause mortality among patients with HFpEF, both with and without anemia and iron deficiency. Furthermore, we explored other predictors of all-cause mortality.

RESULTS

The average age of the entire group was 70.6 ± 10.5 years, with females comprising 55% of the patients. Anemia was present in 81 (38.2%) patients, while 108 (50.9%) had iron deficiency. At the end of the follow-up period, 60 (28.3%) of the patients had passed away. Patients with anemia displayed more heart failure (HF) symptoms, diastolic dysfunction, higher NT-pro-BNP levels, and worse baseline functional capacity than those without. Similarly, patients with iron deficiency showed more pronounced HF symptoms and worse functional capacity than those without. The results from the multivariable analyses revealed that anemia (hazard ratio [HR]: 5.401, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 4.303-6.209, log-rank p = 0.001), advanced age, iron deficiency (HR: 3.502, 95% CI: 2.204-6.701, log-rank p = 0.015), decreased left ventricular ejection fraction, chronic kidney disease, and paroxysmal nocturnal dyspnea were all independently associated with all-cause mortality.

CONCLUSIONS

It is essential to consider anemia and iron deficiency as common comorbidities in managing and prognosis HFpEF, as they significantly increase mortality risk.

Structural Model of Biomedical and Contextual Factors Predicting In-Hospital Mortality due to Heart Failure

Background: Among the clinical predictors of a heart failure (HF) prognosis, different personal factors have been established in previous research, mainly age, gender, anemia, renal insufficiency and diabetes, as well as mediators (pulmonary embolism, hypertension, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), arrhythmias and dyslipidemia). We do not know the role played by contextual and individual factors in the prediction of in-hospital mortality. Methods: The present study has added hospital and management factors (year, type of hospital, length of stay, number of diagnoses and procedures, and readmissions) in predicting exitus to establish a structural predictive model. The project was approved by the Ethics Committee of the province of Almeria. Results: A total of 529,606 subjects participated, through databases of the Spanish National Health System. A predictive model was constructed using correlation analysis (SPSS 24.0) and structural equation models (SEM) analysis (AMOS 20.0) that met the appropriate statistical values (chi-square, usually fit indices and the root-mean-square error approximation) which met the criteria of statistical significance. Individual factors, such as age, gender and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, were found to positively predict mortality risk. Isolated contextual factors (hospitals with a greater number of beds, especially, and also the number of procedures performed, which negatively predicted the risk of death. Conclusions: It was, therefore, possible to introduce contextual variables to explain the behavior of mortality in patients with HF. The size or level of large hospital complexes, as well as procedural effort, are key contextual variables in estimating the risk of mortality in HF.

Anaemia and Congestion in Heart Failure: Correlations and Prognostic Role

The aim of this study was to evaluate the relationship between anaemia and biomarkers of central/peripheral congestion in heart failure (HF) and the impact on mortality. We retrospectively evaluated 434 acute/chronic HF (AHF/CHF) patients. Anaemia was defined as haemoglobin levels <12 g/dL (women) or <13 g/dL (men). The brain natriuretic peptide (BNP) and hydration index (HI) were measured. The endpoint of the study was all-cause mortality. Anaemia occurred in 59% of patients with AHF and in 35% with CHF (p < 0.001) and showed a significant correlation with the NYHA functional class and renal function. BNP and HI were significantly higher in patients with anaemia than in those without anaemia. Independent predictors of anaemia included BNP, estimated creatinine clearance (eCrCL), and HI. The all-cause mortality rate was 21%, which was significantly higher in patients with anaemia than in those without anaemia (30% vs. 14%, p < 0.001; hazard ratio: 2.6). At multivariate Cox regression analysis, BNP, eCrCL, and HI were independent predictors for mortality (Hazard ratios: 1.0002, 0.97, and 1.05, respectively), while anaemia was not. Anaemia correlates with HF status, functional class, renal function, BNP, and HI. Anaemia was not an independent predictor for mortality, acting as a disease severity marker in congestive patients rather than as a predictor of death.

Promising directions in the treatment of chronic heart failure: improving old or developing new ones?

Unprecedented advances of recent decades in clinical pharmacology, cardiac surgery, arrhythmology, and cardiac pacing have significantly improved the prognosis in patients with chronic heart failure (CHF). However, unfortunately, heart failure continues to be associated with high mortality. The solution to this problem consists in simultaneous comprehensive use in clinical practice of all relevant capabilities of continuously improving methods of heart failure treatment proven to be effective in randomized controlled trials (especially when confirmed by the results of studies in real clinical practice), on the one hand, and in development and implementation of innovative approaches to CHF treatment, on the other hand. This is especially relevant for CHF patients with mildly reduced and preserved left ventricular ejection fraction, as poor evidence base for the possibility of improving the prognosis in such patients cannot justify inaction and leaving them without hope of a clinical improvement in their condition. The lecture consistently covers the general principles of CHF treatment and a set of measures aimed at inotropic stimulation and unloading (neurohormonal, volumetric, hemodynamic, and immune) of the heart and outlines some promising areas of disease-modifying therapy.