Reduced Handgrip Strength as a Marker of Frailty Predicts Clinical Outcomes in Patients With Heart Failure Undergoing Ventricular Assist Device Placement

BackgroundHeart failure (HF) is associated with the derangement of muscle structure and metabolism, contributing to exercise intolerance, frailty, and mortality. Reduced handgrip strength is associated with increased patient frailty and higher morbidity and mortality. We evaluated handgrip strength as a marker of muscle function and frailty for prediction of clinical outcomes after ventricular assist device (VAD) implantation in patients with advanced HF.Methods and ResultsHandgrip strength was measured in 72 patients with advanced HF before VAD implantation (2.3 ± 4.9 days pre-VAD). We analyzed dynamics in handgrip strength, laboratory values, postoperative complications, and mortality. Handgrip strength correlated with serum albumin levels (r = 0.334, P = .004). Compared with baseline, handgrip strength increased post-VAD implantation by 18.2 ± 5.6% at 3 months (n = 29) and 45.5 ± 23.9% at 6 months (n = 27). Patients with a handgrip strength <25% of body weight had an increased risk of mortality, increased postoperative complications, and lower survival after VAD implantation.ConclusionPatients with advanced HF show impaired handgrip strength indicating a global myopathy. Handgrip strength <25% of body weight is associated with higher postoperative complication rates and increased mortality after VAD implantation. Thus, the addition of measures of skeletal muscle function underlying the frailty phenotype to traditional risk markers might have incremental prognostic value in patients undergoing evaluation for VAD placement.     

血清尿酸水平和心力衰竭风险的相关性研究

目的研究血清尿酸(serum uric acid,SUA)水平和心力衰竭(心衰)发生风险的关系。方法纳入927例在北京医院心内科住院诊断为心力衰竭的患者作为病例组,并按年龄、性别匹配927例无心衰的同时期住院患者作为对照组。通过电子病历系统回顾性地收集两组的基线血清尿酸值以及其他重要的基线资料。应用logistic回归分析研究SUA是否为心衰的危险因素。结果心衰病例组和对照组基线年龄、性别、体质指数均衡可比(P>0.05)。相比于对照组,病例组SUA水平升高(P=0.014),以及病例组基线患有高血压、糖尿病、冠心病的比例显著高于对照组(P<0.001)。Logistic回归分析在矫正年龄、性别、体质指数、肾小球滤过率、高血压、糖尿病、冠心病以及总胆固醇、三酰甘油、低密度脂蛋白胆固醇和高密度脂蛋白胆固醇水平后,显示基线SUA水平每增加1 mg/dl时发生心衰风险升高18.3%(OR:1.183,95%CI:1.088-1.287),以及基线有HUA患者比无HUA者发生心衰风险升高50.7%(OR:1.507,95%CI:1.122-2.023)。结论血清尿酸水平升高是发生心力衰竭的独立预测因素。