Interventional therapies for heart failure in the elderly

The aging of a population replete with risk factors for heart failure (HF) (coronary heart disease, diabetes, and hypertension) coupled with a declining age-adjusted mortality rate for coronary artery and hypertensive heart diseases has created, and will continue to create, a literal explosion in the prevalence of HF in the United States. Despite advances in maximal medical therapy, however, most patients who have symptomatic HF can expect functional impairment, interludes of worsening symptomatology, and a shortened lifespan. This article updates the use of interventional therapies for the treatment of elderly patients who have HF caused by coronary artery disease, valvular heart disease, congenital heart disease, myocardial disease, and renal vascular disease.     

Hospital-Level Variation in Use of Cardiovascular Testing for Adults With Incident Heart Failure: Findings From the Cardiovascular Research Network Heart Failure Study

ObjectivesThis study aimed to characterize the use of cardiovascular testing for patients with incident heart failure (HF) hospitalization who participated in the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute sponsored Cardiovascular Research Network (CVRN) Heart Failure study.BackgroundHF is a common cause of hospitalization, and testing and treatment patterns may differ substantially between providers. Testing choices have important implications for the cost and quality of care.MethodsCrude and adjusted cardiovascular testing rates were calculated for each participating hospital. Cox proportional hazards regression models were used to examine hospital testing rates after adjustment for hospital-level patient case mix.ResultsOf the 37,099 patients in the CVRN Heart Failure study, 5,878 patients were hospitalized with incident HF between 2005 and 2008. Of these, evidence of cardiovascular testing was available for 4,650 (79.1%) patients between 14 days before the incident HF admission and ending 6 months after the incident discharge. We compared crude and adjusted cardiovascular testing rates at the hospital level because the majority of testing occurred during the incident HF hospitalization. Of patients who underwent testing, 4,085 (87.9%) had an echocardiogram, 4,345 (93.4%) had a systolic function assessment, and 1,714 (36.9%) had a coronary artery disease assessment. Crude and adjusted testing rates varied markedly across the profiled hospitals, for individual testing modalities (e.g., echocardiography, stress echocardiography, nuclear stress testing, and left heart catheterization) and for specific clinical indications (e.g., systolic function assessment and coronary artery disease assessment).ConclusionsFor patients with newly diagnosed HF, we did not observe widespread overuse of cardiovascular testing in the 6 months following incident HF hospitalization relative to existing HF guidelines. Variations in testing were greatest for assessment of ischemia, in which testing guidelines are less certain.     

Impact of Percutaneous Coronary Intervention on Outcomes in Patients With Heart Failure: JACC State-of-the-Art Review

Coronary artery disease (CAD) is highly prevalent in patients with heart failure (HF) and accounts for nearly two-thirds of cases. The use of percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) in HF patients with CAD has markedly increased and has been suggested to be associated with improved outcomes in numerous observational studies. Randomized data comparing the impact of PCI with that of coronary artery bypass graft (CABG) or contemporary guideline-directed medical therapy alone on clinical outcomes and myocardial recovery in patients with HF are lacking. The purpose of this review is to describe the available evidence regarding the impact of PCI in acute HF (in the presence and absence of an acute coronary syndrome), chronic HF with reduced ejection fraction, and HF with preserved ejection fraction. Adequately-powered randomized clinical trials examining the outcomes with PCI in these distinct HF populations are warranted.     

Normal coronary arteries in patients with systolic heart failure who have higher body mass index

BACKGROUND: Previous research has shown an association between higher body mass index (BMI) and lower mortality in patients with heart failure (HF). METHODS: We compared the prevalence of angiographic coronary artery disease (CAD) and risk factors in obese versus non-obese patients with HF. Eighty-four consecutive patients with systolic HF who underwent coronary angiography in a single institution were categorized by BMI into non-obese (BMI < 30, n = 42) and obese (BMI >or= 30, n = 42) subjects. RESULTS: Chi-square analysis demonstrated a greater prevalence of normal coronary arteries and a lesser prevalence of CAD in the obese patients compared with the non-obese patients (64% [27/42] of obese patients vs 43% [18/42] non-obese patients had normal coronary arteries, P < .05). Among the obese patients, the subgroup with normal coronary arteries had a higher BMI (39 vs 32, P < .001) and was younger (51 vs 63 years, P < .005) compared with those with CAD. Although the prevalence of significant CAD (>50% diameter stenosis) was similar between obese and non-obese patients, the obese subgroup had a lower high-density lipoprotein (39 vs 49 mg/dL, P < .05). CONCLUSIONS: Angiographically normal coronary arteries were more prevalent in patients with systolic HF who have a higher BMI.     

Anticoagulation in heart failure: current status and future direction

Despite therapeutic advances, patients with worsening heart failure (HF) requiring hospitalization have unacceptably high post-discharge mortality and re-admission rates soon after discharge. Evidence suggests a hypercoagulable state is present in patients with HF. Although thromboembolism as a direct consequence of HF is not frequently clinically recognized, it may contribute to mortality and morbidity. Additionally, many patients with HF have concomitant disorders conferring additional thrombotic risk, including atrial fibrillation (AF) and coronary artery disease (CAD). Acute coronary syndrome (ACS), a known consequence of coronary thrombosis, is a common precipitating factor for worsening HF. Coronary thrombosis may also cause sudden death in patients with HF and CAD. Because data are largely derived from observational studies or trials of modest size, guideline recommendations on anticoagulation for HF vary between organizations. The recently presented Warfarin versus Aspirin in Reduced Cardiac Ejection Fraction trial of HF patients in sinus rhythm suggested anticoagulation reduces the risk of stroke, although rates of the combined primary endpoint (death, ischemic stroke, or intracerebral hemorrhage) were similar for acetylsalicylic acid and warfarin. Newer oral anticoagulants dabigatran, apixaban, and rivaroxaban have successfully completed trials for the prevention of stroke in patients with AF and have shown benefits in the subpopulation of patients with concomitant HF. Positive results of the Anti-Xa Therapy to Lower Cardiovascular Events in Addition to Standard Therapy in Subjects with Acute Coronary Syndrome—Thrombolysis in Myocardial Infarction 51 (ATLAS ACS 2—TIMI 51) trial of rivaroxaban in ACS are also encouraging. These data suggest there is a need to assess the potential role for these newer agents in the management of patients hospitalized for HF who continue to have a high post-discharge event rate despite available therapies.     

心率变异性与冠状动脉病变的关系

目的探讨心率变异性(heartratevariability,HRV)与冠状动脉病变范围和程度的关系。方法回顾性分析我院冠心病患者186例的冠状动脉病变范围程度和HRV指标。用Logistic回归筛选冠状动脉病变的HRV预测指标。结果HRV时域指标和频域指标均随冠状动脉病变范围和程度的加重而降低,时域指标,包括正常窦性心搏间期标准差(standarddeviationofnormalnumberofintervals,SDNN),每5分钟平均正常窦性心搏间期标准差(standarddeviationofper5minaveragesnormalnumberofintervals,SDANN),正常窦性心搏间期标准差平均值(averageofstandarddeviationofnormalnumberofintervals,ASDNN),相邻正常窦性心搏间期差的平方根值(rootmeansquarevaluesofthestandarddeviationbetweenadjacentnormalnumberofintervals,rMSSD),相邻正常窦性心搏间期差超过50ms的个数占总窦性心搏数的百分率(percentageofdifferencesexceeding50msbetweenadjacentnormalnumberofintervalsPNN50),PNN50包括PNN50a(大于相邻心搏间期50ms)和PNN50b(小于相邻心搏间期50ms),频域指标包括低频带(lowfrequency,LF),极低频带(verylowfrequency,VLF),高频带(highfrequency,HF)都与冠状动脉病变范围和程度呈负相关(P<0.01或P<0.05);Logistic回归结果表明SDANN、LF/HF为冠状动脉病变范围和程度的保护因素。结论有冠状动脉病变的患者HRV降低,存在自主神经功能紊乱;HRV与冠状动脉病变范围和程度呈负相关。     

Epicardial fat volume in patients with left ventricular systolic dysfunction

Epicardial adipose tissue has been linked to cardiovascular metabolism and inflammation and has been shown to predict prevalence and progression of coronary artery disease. Only limited data are available on the role of epicardial fat in patients with heart failure (HF). We analyzed cardiac adiposity and its relation to markers of morbidity and clinical outcome in patients with normal and impaired left ventricular (LV) function. Epicardial fat volume (EFV) and coronary artery calcium were measured in 381 patients (210 women and 171 men, mean age 55 ± 10 years) who underwent low-dose computed tomography. HF was defined by LV ejection fraction (EF) <55%. Three hundred twenty-one patients had an EF >55% (mean 63 ± 6) and 60 patients had an EF <55% (mean 41 ± 12). Subgroup analysis was performed according to degree of LV dysfunction in patients with HF (LVEF 35% to 55% or <35%). Mean EFVs were 114.5 ± 98.5 cm(3) in patients with normal EF and 83.5 ± 67.1 cm(3) in those with decreased EF (p <0.05). Mean EFVs were 96.1 ± 73.9 cm(3) in patients with moderate HF and 52.2 ± 29.7 cm(3) in patients with severe HF (p <0.05). Subgroup analysis revealed a persistently smaller EFV in patients with HF regardless of coronary artery calcium scores, markers of renal function, lipid metabolism, fasting blood glucose, or body mass index. In conclusion, our data demonstrate a stepwise decrease in EFV in patients with impaired cardiac function.     

Effects of heart failure and diabetes mellitus on long-term mortality after coronary revascularization (from the BARI Trial)

This study evaluated the effect of heart failure (HF) and ejection fraction (EF) at baseline on long-term cardiac mortality in patients undergoing coronary revascularization and investigated the effect of diabetes mellitus (DM) on mortality. We evaluated long-term outcomes of patients without HF, HF and a preserved EF, and HF and a decreased EF who underwent revascularization with percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty or coronary artery bypass graft surgery after enrollment in the Bypass Angioplasty Revascularization Investigation (BARI) trial. Ten years after initial revascularization, cumulative rates of freedom from cardiac death were 90% in patients without HF, 75% in patients with HF and a preserved EF, and 59% in patients with HF and a decreased EF (p <0.001, 3-way comparison). In diabetic patients with HF and a preserved EF, there was a significant increase in cardiac mortality compared with patients without HF (p <0.001); however, this relation was not seen in patients without DM. In conclusion, patients with HF and a preserved EF have increased mortality over 10 years compared with those without HF. Only in patients with DM did HF with preserved EF confer additional risk.     

冠心病患者冠状动脉病变与心率变异性的关系

目的了解冠心病患者冠状动脉病变与心率变异性的关系，探讨心率变异性在评估冠心病病情方面的作用及意义。方法所有111例病人均行冠状动脉造影及24h动态心电图检查，按冠状动脉造影结果分为至少有一支冠状动脉完全阻塞、至少有一支冠状动脉有不同程度狭窄病变、冠状动脉造影完全正常3组；通过动态心电图检查计算心率变异性的时域指标：SDNN、SDANNind、SDNNind、rMSSD、PNN50，用SPSS12．0统计软件包对比不同冠状动脉病变之间心率变异性的差异。结果①随冠状动脉狭窄程度加重，心率变异性指标：SDNN、SDANNind、SDNNind渐下降，完全阻塞组这些指标下降最显著；②随冠状动脉病变支数增加，心率变异性指标：SDNN、SDANNind、SDNNind、rMSSD、PNN50有进一步下降趋势，但只有三支病变心率变异性下降才有统计学意义；③左冠状动脉病变心率变异性指标：SDNN、SDANNind明显下降，而右冠状动脉病变下降不明显。结论冠心病患者心率变异性明显下降提示冠状动脉狭窄程度重、病变范围广、病变在左冠状动脉，这对冠心病患者病情评估有一定意义。     

Cardiomyopathic syndrome caused by coronary artery disease. III: Prospective clinicopathological study of its prevalence among patients with clinically unexplained chronic heart failure.

Each day, for one year, the medical records of adult patients who died in hospital were reviewed before seeing the necropsy findings. For those patients who had had chronic left or left and right heart failure, a presumptive cause was assigned on the basis of antemortem clinical data. Of 740 consecutive patients who were studied at necropsy, 90 had had chronic heart failure. In 15 patients the cause of heart failure was not apparent by clinical criteria; of these, 7 were found at necropsy to have cardiomyopathic syndrome caused by coronary artery disease. In retrospect, the presence of overt diabetes mellitus was a clue that cardiomyopathy caused by coronary artery disease was the cause of clinically unexplained heart failure; 5 of 7 patients with unexplained heart failure who were found to have this at necropsy were diabetic, whereas only 1 of the other 8 patients with clinically unexplained heart failure was diabetic (P less than 0.05). Patients in whom clinically unexplained heart failure was found to be the result of cardiomyopathy caused by coronary artery disease had multiple myocardial infarctions on pathological examination, which, with one exception, were nontransmural. By contrast, myocardial infarctions were transmural on pathological examination in each of 7 matched 'controls' with heart failure, in whom the diagnosis of coronary artery disease had been clinically apparent (P less than 0.01).     

Predictive model of re-hospitalization in patients with coronary artery disease combined with heart failure

Background The number of patients with coronary artery disease (CAD) complicated with heart failure (HF)in China is large,the prognosis is poor,and the re-hospi...     

Left Ventricular Diastolic Dysfunction in End‐Stage Kidney Disease: Pathogenesis,Diagnosis, and Treatment

Diastolic dysfunction is frequently observed in end‐stage kidney disease (ESKD), and ESKD patients have many risk factors for heart failure (HF), including hypertension, diabetes, and coronary artery disease. Diastolic HF, also called HF with preserved ejection fraction, refers to a clinical syndrome in which patients have symptoms and signs of HF, normal or near normal left ventricular (LV) systolic function, and evidence of diastolic dysfunction manifested by abnormal LV filling and elevated filling pressure. Recent reports suggest that HF with preserved ejection fraction is more common in hemodialysis patients than HF with low ejection fraction. Diastolic HF in ESKD patients is a strong predictor of death. In this article, we review the information available in the literature on the pathogenesis, diagnosis, and potential treatment strategies of diastolic dysfunction or diastolic HF based on evidence obtained in the general population that is potentially applicable to ESKD patients.     

Diabetes is a predictor of coronary artery stenosis in patients hospitalized with heart failure

In patients with heart failure, coronary artery disease is the most common underlying heart disease, and is associated with increased mortality. However, estimating the presence or absence of coronary artery disease in patients with heart failure is sometimes difficult without coronary imaging. We reviewed 155 consecutive patients hospitalized with heart failure who underwent coronary angiography. The patients were divided into two groups: patients with (N = 59) and without (N = 96) coronary artery stenosis. The clinical characteristics and blood sampling data were compared between the two groups. The patients with coronary artery stenosis were older than those without. The prevalence of diabetes mellitus (DM), dyslipidemia and a history of revascularization was higher in the patients with coronary artery stenosis. Patients with coronary artery stenosis tended to have wall motion asynergy more frequently than those without. On the other hand, the prevalence of atrial fibrillation (AF) was lower in patients with coronary artery stenosis. The serum hemoglobin level and estimated glomerular filtration rate were lower in patients with coronary artery stenosis than in those without. In the multivariate analysis, DM (odds ratio 3.517, 95 % CI 1.601–7.727) was found to be the only the predictor of the presence of coronary artery stenosis in patients with heart failure. In conclusion, coronary imaging is strongly recommended for heart failure patients with DM to confirm the presence of coronary artery stenosis.     

Cardiomyopathic syndrome caused by coronary artery disease. III: Prospective clinicopathological study of its prevalence among patients with clinically unexplained chronic heart failure.

Each day, for one year, the medical records of adult patients who died in hospital were reviewed before seeing the necropsy findings. For those patients who had had chronic left or left and right heart failure, a presumptive cause was assigned on the basis of antemortem clinical data. Of 740 consecutive patients who were studied at necropsy, 90 had had chronic heart failure. In 15 patients the cause of heart failure was not apparent by clinical criteria; of these, 7 were found at necropsy to have cardiomyopathic syndrome caused by coronary artery disease. In retrospect, the presence of overt diabetes mellitus was a clue that cardiomyopathy caused by coronary artery disease was the cause of clinically unexplained heart failure; 5 of 7 patients with unexplained heart failure who were found to have this at necropsy were diabetic, whereas only 1 of the other 8 patients with clinically unexplained heart failure was diabetic (P less than 0.05). Patients in whom clinically unexplained heart failure was found to be the result of cardiomyopathy caused by coronary artery disease had multiple myocardial infarctions on pathological examination, which, with one exception, were nontransmural. By contrast, myocardial infarctions were transmural on pathological examination in each of 7 matched 'controls' with heart failure, in whom the diagnosis of coronary artery disease had been clinically apparent (P less than 0.01).     

Aspirin, clopidogrel, and warfarin use and outcomes in a cohort of 580 patients discharged after hospitalization for decompensated heart failure

The benefits of taking of aspirin, clopidogrel, and warfarin in relation to cardiovascular mortality and re-hospitalization in chronic heart failure (HF) patients have been called into question. We examined the outcomes (cardiac mortality and/or HF re-hospitalization) in patients discharged from our hospital between January 2003 and July 2009 after hospitalization for chronic decompensated HF. Of 580 HF patients (mean age, 63?±?13?years; mean ejection fraction, 26?±?9%, 63% with coronary disease and 37% without coronary disease), 207 patients (36%) died due to cardiovascular reasons, and 313 (54%) required HF re-hospitalization for decompensated HF during a 39?±?14?month follow-up period. 101 (17%) patients were taking clopidogrel during enrollment in the study. When comparing patients who were on clopidogrel treatment with those who were not, clopidogrel was found to have a beneficial effect on cardiac mortality (27 vs. 38%, P?=?0.04). In conclusion, in this observational prospective study, patients who used clopidogrel showed decreased cardiac mortality [HR, 0.566 (95% CI 0.332-0.964), P?=?0.036] compared to patients who did not take clopidogrel. Clopidogrel had a beneficial effect on the survival of chronic HF patients in the long term.     

Coronary Interventions before Liver Transplantation Might Not Avert Postoperative Cardiovascular Events

Percutaneous coronary intervention and coronary artery bypass grafting may be performed before orthotopic liver transplantation (OLT) to try to improve the condition of patients who have severe ischemic heart disease. However, data supporting improved outcomes are lacking.We reviewed the medical records of 2,010 patients who underwent OLT at our hospital from 2000 through 2010. The 51 patients who underwent coronary artery angiography within 6 months of transplantation were included in this study: 28 had mild coronary artery disease, 10 had moderate disease, and 13 had severe disease. We compared all-cause and cardiac-cause mortality rates.We found a significant difference in cardiac deaths between the groups (P <0.001), but none in all-cause death (P=0.624). Of the 10 patients who had moderate coronary artery disease, one underwent pre-transplant coronary artery bypass grafting. Of 13 patients with severe disease, 3 underwent percutaneous coronary intervention, and 6 underwent coronary artery bypass grafting. Overall, 50% of patients who underwent either intervention died of cardiac-related causes, whereas no patient died of a cardiac-related cause after undergoing neither intervention (P <0.0001).We conclude that, despite coronary intervention, mortality rates remain high in OLT patients who have severe coronary artery disease.     

Congestive heart failure symptoms in patients with preserved left ventricular systolic function: analysis of the CASS registry

The clinical characteristics and long-term survival of 284 patients from the Coronary Artery Surgery Study (CASS) registry data base who had moderate to severe congestive heart failure symptoms and a left ventricular ejection fraction greater than or equal to 0.45 were studied. A control group consisting of registry patients with an ejection fraction greater than or equal to 0.45 who did not have heart failure was used for comparison. Patients who had heart failure were older and more likely to be female and to have a higher incidence of hypertension, diabetes and chronic lung disease than registry patients who did not have heart failure. As a group, patients with heart failure had more severe angina and were more likely to have had a prior myocardial infarction than were registry patients without heart failure. At 6 year follow-up, 82% of patients in the heart failure group survived compared with 91% of patients in the control group (p less than 0.0001). Multivariate analysis using the Cox proportional hazards model identified the following independent predictors of mortality: regional ventricular systolic dysfunction, number of diseased coronary arteries, advanced age, hypertension, lung disease, diabetes, increased left ventricular end-diastolic pressure and heart failure symptoms. Among patients with heart failure, the 6-year survival rate of those who had three-vessel coronary artery disease was 68% compared with 92% for the group without coronary artery disease. However, the 6-year survival rate for patients with heart failure who underwent surgical revascularization of diseased coronary arteries was not significantly improved compared with that of patients treated medically.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)     

Elevated serum cardiac markers predict coronary artery disease in patients with a history of heart failure who present with chest pain: insights from the i*trACS registry

The significance of a history of heart failure (HF) in patients presenting with acute coronary syndromes and elevated cardiac markers is unclear. The authors performed an analysis of patients enrolled in the Internet Tracking Registry of Acute Coronary Syndromes (i*trACS). Cardiac marker measurement and cardiac catheterization were performed in 1174 patients. Of these, 116 (9.9%) had heart failure (HF). Coronary artery disease (CAD) was found in 61 (52.6%) patients in the HF group and 581 (54.9%) in the group without HF. In the non-HF cohort, positive markers occurred in 306 patients, in whom 217 (70.9%) had CAD at catheterization. In the HF subset, 24 patients had positive biomarkers and 15 (62.5%) had CAD. A history of HF did not lessen the likelihood of CAD as evidenced by angiography and does not diminish the utility of cardiac markers in diagnosing acute coronary syndromes.     

Drugs of Abuse and Heart Failure

Substance use is common among those with heart failure (HF) and is associated with worse clinical outcomes. Alcohol, tobacco, cannabis, and cocaine are commonly abused substances that can contribute to the development and worsening of HF. Heavy alcohol consumption can lead to dilated cardiomyopathy, whereas moderate intake may decrease incident HF. Tobacco increases the risk of HF through coronary artery disease and coronary artery disease–independent mechanisms. Continued smoking worsens outcomes for those with HF and cessation is associated with an improved risk of major adverse cardiac events. Cannabis has complex interactions on the cardiovascular system depending on the method of consumption, amount consumed, and content of cannabinoids. Delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol can increase sympathetic tone, cause vascular dysfunction, and may increase the risk of myocardial infarction. Cannabidiol is cardioprotective in preclinical studies and is a potential therapeutic target. Cocaine increases sympathetic tone and is a potent proarrhythmogenic agent. It increases the risk of myocardial infarction and can also lead to a dilated cardiomyopathy. The use of beta-blockers in those with HF and cocaine use is likely safe and effective. Future studies are needed to further elucidate the impact of these substances both on the development of HF and their effects on those who have HF.