Associations between in-hospital daily protein intake and adverse clinical outcomes in older patients with heart failure.

AIMS: The adverse effects of low daily protein intake (DPI) on clinical outcomes in patients with heart failure (HF) are known; however, an optimal DPI to predict event adverse outcomes remains undetermined. Moreover, whether protein restriction therapy for chronic kidney disease is applicable in patients with HF and renal dysfunction remains unclear. METHODS AND RESULTS: In this single-centre, ambispective cohort study, we included 405 patients with HF aged ≥65 years (mean age, 78.6 ± 7.5 years; 50% women). DPI was estimated from consumption over three consecutive days before discharge and normalized relative to the ideal body weight [IBW, 22 kg/m2 × height (m)2]. The primary outcome was a composite of all-cause mortality and HF-related readmission within the 2 year post-discharge period. RESULTS: During an average follow-up period of 1.49 ± 0.74 years, 100 patients experienced composite events. Kaplan-Meier survival curves revealed a significantly lower composite event-free rate in patients within the lowest quartile of DPI than in the upper quartiles (log-rank test, P = 0.02). A multivariate Cox proportional hazards analysis after adjusting for established prognostic markers and non-proteogenic energy intake revealed that patients in the lowest DPI quartile faced a two-fold higher risk of composite events than those in the highest quartile [hazard ratio (HR), 2.03; 95% confidence interval (CI), 1.08-3.82; P = 0.03]. The composite event risk linearly increased as DPI decreased (P for nonlinearity = 0.90), with each standard deviation (0.26 g/kg IBW/day) decrease in DPI associated with a 32% increase in composite event risk (HR, 1.32; 95% CI, 1.10-1.71; P = 0.04). There was significant heterogeneity in the effect of DPI, with the possible disadvantage of lower DPI in patients with HF with cystatin C-based estimated glomerular filtration rate <30 mL/min/1.73 m2. The cutoff value of DPI for predicting the occurrence of composite events calculated from the Youden index was 1.12 g/kg IBW/day. Incorporating a DPI < 1.12 g/kg IBW/day into the baseline model significantly improved the prediction of post-discharge composite events (continuous net reclassification improvement, 0.294; 95% CI, 0.072-0.516; P = 0.01). CONCLUSIONS: Lower DPI during hospitalization is associated with an increased risk of mortality and HF readmission independent of non-proteogenic energy intake, and the possible optimal DPI for predicting adverse clinical outcomes is >1.12 g/kg IBW/day in older patients with HF. Caution is warranted when protein restriction therapy is administered to older patients with HF and renal dysfunction.

Optimal serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D level to prevent sarcopenia in patients with heart failure: Insights from a dose-response relationship.

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: Low serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25 [OH]D) levels have been associated with sarcopenia, frailty, and risk of cardiovascular disease, whereas high levels negatively impact clinical outcomes. We determined optimal serum 25(OH)D concentrations to minimise the probability of sarcopenia in patients with heart failure (HF) by examining the dose-dependent relationship between serum 25(OH)D levels and sarcopenia. METHODS AND RESULTS: We enrolled 461 consecutive patients with HF (mean age, 72 ± 15 years; 39% female) who underwent dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry. Serum 25(OH)D levels were measured using a chemiluminescence immunoassay. Sarcopenia was diagnosed according to the 2019 Asian Working Group for Sarcopenia criteria. Overall, 49% of enrolled patients were diagnosed with sarcopenia. Adjusted logistic regression with restricted cubic spline function revealed that the odds ratio (OR) of sarcopenia increased in patients with HF presenting serum 25(OH)D levels <14.6 ng/ml or > 31.4 ng/ml, reaching the lowest OR at ∼20 ng/ml. Multivariate logistic regression revealed that a serum 25(OH)D level below 14.6 ng/mL was independently associated with the presence of sarcopenia (adjusted OR: 2.16, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.24-3.78). Incorporating serum 25(OH)D levels <14.6 ng/ml, but not <20.0 ng/ml, in the baseline model improved continuous net reclassification (0.334, 95% CI: 0.122-0.546) in patients with HF. CONCLUSION: A U-shaped relationship exists between serum 25(OH)D levels and sarcopenia probability in patients with HF. Maintaining serum 25(OH)D levels between 14.6 and 31.4 ng/ml may help prevent sarcopenia in patients with HF.

Independent Link Between Use of Mineralocorticoid Receptor Antagonists and Muscle Wasting in Heart Failure Patients Not Receiving Renin-Angiotensin System Inhibitors.

BACKGROUND: The renin-angiotensin system (RAS) activation is a proposed mechanism of muscle wasting (MW i.e., reduction in muscle mass). Although we reported that RAS inhibitors (RASIs) were associated with lower prevalence of MW in heart failure (HF) patients, the relationship between mineralocorticoid receptor (MR) signaling and MW has not been analyzed.Methods and Results: We analyzed data from 320 consecutive Japanese HF patients who underwent dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry scanning for assessment of appendicular skeletal muscle mass index (ASMI). In multiple linear regression analyses, plasma renin activity (PRA) was negatively correlated with ASMI in patients not receiving RASIs, indicating an untoward role of the RAS in MW. Results of analysis of covariance in which risk factors of MW served as covariates showed that use of MR antagonists (MRAs) was associated with lower ASMI and higher PRA in the non-RASIs group. The close relationship between use of MRAs and lower ASMI or higher PRA in the non-RASIs group was confirmed in analyses in which the differences in baseline characteristics between users and non-users of MRAs were minimized by using an inverse probability of treatment weighting. CONCLUSIONS: Increased PRA by MR inhibition without concurrent RAS inhibition, possibly contributing to upregulation of angiotensin II signaling, may be associated with reduction in muscle mass.

Development and validation of osteoporosis risk assessment score, ORAS, in heart failure patients: comparison with the Osteoporosis Self-Assessment Tool for Asians (OSTA).

AIM: Osteoporosis is prevalent and is associated with poor prognosis in heart failure (HF) patients. However, bone mineral density (BMD) measurement by a dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DEXA) scan is not always available in a daily clinical setting and large-scale population-based studies. METHODS: A single-center, cross-sectional observational study was conducted with 387 patients (median age: 77 years [interquartile range: 68 to 83 years]; 37% women). BMDs were measured by DEXA scans, and osteoporosis was diagnosed as ≤ -2.5 standard deviation of the BMDs in healthy young adults. Osteoporosis risk assessment score (ORAS) was developed using significant predictors from a logistic regression model for osteoporosis and was subsequently validated. RESULTS: Osteoporosis was found in 103 (27%) of the 387 HF patients. Multivariate logistic regression analyses yielded the ORAS based on sex, BMI, handgrip strength, and anti-coagulant therapy utilization. The C-index of ORAS in the developmental set (0.796, 95% confidence interval: 0.747 to 0.845) was similar to the bootstrap validation of the prediction model (0.784), and tended to be higher than that of the Osteoporosis Self-Assessment Tool for Asians (OSTA). A nomogram of ORAS, established on the basis of the final logistic regression model, demonstrated 100% sensitivity at the lowest score (35 points), with an optimal cutoff point of 127 points, yielding 85% sensitivity and 62% specificity. CONCLUSIONS: ORAS exhibits superior predictive performance to OSTA in predicting osteoporosis in HF patients, establishing itself as a valuable tool for early detection in both daily clinical practice and large-scale population-based studies.

Impact of Radar Chart-Based Information Sharing in a Multidisciplinary Team on In-Hospital Outcomes and Prognosis in Older Patients With Heart Failure.

Background: A multidisciplinary team (MDT) approach is crucial for managing older patients with heart failure (HF). We investigated the impact on clinical outcomes of implementation of a conference sheet (CS) with an 8-component radar chart for visualizing and sharing patient information. Methods and Results: We enrolled 395 older inpatients with HF (median age 79 years [interquartile range 72-85 years]; 47% women) and divided them into 2 groups according to CS implementation: a non-CS group (before CS implementation; n=145) and a CS group (after CS implementation; n=250). The clinical characteristics of patients in the CS group were assessed using 8 scales (physical function, functional status, comorbidities, nutritional status, medication adherence, cognitive function, HF knowledge level, and home care level). In-hospital outcomes (Short Physical Performance Battery, Barthel Index score, length of hospital stay, and hospital transfer rate) were significantly better in the CS than non-CS group. During the follow-up period, 112 patients experienced composite events (all-cause death or admission for HF). Inverse probabilities of treatment-weighted Cox proportional hazard analyses demonstrated a 39% reduction in risk of composite events in the CS group (adjusted hazard ratio 0.65; 95% confidence interval 0.43-0.97). Conclusions: Radar chart-based information sharing among MDT members is associated with superior in-hospital clinical outcomes and a favorable prognosis.

Anthropometric parameters-derived estimation of muscle mass predicts all-cause mortality in heart failure patients.

AIMS: Reduction in appendicular skeletal muscle mass index (ASMI) assessed by dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DEXA) has been shown to be independently associated with a higher mortality rate in patients with heart failure (HF). However, DEXA is not suitable for measurement of muscle mass in a daily clinical setting and in large population-based studies. The aim of this study was to determine whether ASMI predicted from anthropometric indicators (predicted ASMI) serves as an alternative to DEXA-measured ASMI for predicting all-cause death in HF patients. METHODS AND RESULTS: Data for 539 HF patients who received a DEXA scan and measurements of calf circumferences (CC) and mid-arm circumferences (MAC) in our hospital were analysed. Predicted ASMI was calculated as we previously reported: predicted ASMI (kg/m2 ) = [0.214 × weight (kg) + 0.217 × CC (cm) - 0.189 × MAC (cm) + 1.098 (male = 1, female = -1) + 0.576]/height2 (m2 ). Low ASMI values were defined as <7.00 kg/m2 and <5.40 kg/m2 for men and women, respectively, according to the criteria of the Asian Working Group for Sarcopenia. The median follow-up period was 1.75 years (interquartile range, 0.96-2.37 years), and 79 patients (15%) died. Kaplan-Meier survival curves showed that patients with low DEXA-measured ASMI and patients with low predicted ASMI had significantly lower survival rates than those for patients with high ASMI. In multivariate Cox proportional hazard analyses adjusted for age, sex, logarithmic B-type natriuretic peptide, cystatin C based-estimated glomerular filtration rate, and gait speed, DEXA-measured ASMI [hazard ratio (HR), 0.982; 95% confidence interval (CI), 0.967-0.998; P = 0.026] and predicted ASMI (HR, 0.979; 95% CI, 0.962-0.996; P = 0.018) were independent predictors of all-cause mortality. Inclusion of predicted ASMI into the adjustment model significantly improved continuous net reclassification improvement (0.338; 95% CI, 0.103-0.572; P < 0.01) and integrated discrimination improvement (0.020; 95% CI, 0.004-0.035; P < 0.05) for predicting mortality after discharge. CONCLUSIONS: Predicted ASMI, as well as DEXA-measured ASMI, can predict all-cause death in HF patients, and calculation of predicted ASMI will be useful for detecting high-risk patients in a daily clinical setting and in large population-based studies.

Loss of perceived social role, an index of social frailty, is an independent predictor of future adverse events in hospitalized patients with heart failure.

Aims: Although the impact of physical frailty on prognosis and the effect of cardiac rehabilitation in HF patients has been well established, data for the prognostic impact of social frailty (SF) in HF patients are limited. In addition, the relative importance of each SF domain in clinical outcomes remains unclear. We aimed to get a new insight into the associations of SF with clinical outcomes in elderly hospitalized HF patients. Methods: A single-center, retrospective cohort study was conducted using data from 310 in-hospital HF patients aged ≥ 65 years (mean age of 78 ± 8 years; 49% women). Makizako's five questions, a self-reported questionnaire, were used to define SF. The primary outcome was composite events defined by all-cause death and cardiovascular events. Results: Of the 310 elderly HF patients, 188 patients (61%) had SF. Seventy-five patients (24%) had composite events during a mean follow-up period of 1.93 ± 0.91 years. Kaplan-Meier curves showed that patients with SF had a significantly higher composite event rate than patients without SF. In multivariate Cox regression analyses, SF was independently associated with a higher composite event rate after adjusting for prognostic markers [adjusted hazard ratio (HR), 2.01; 95% confidence interval (CI), 1.07-3.78; p = 0.04]. Of the 5 questions for defining SF, an answer of yes to the question about not feeling helpful toward friends or family, which indicates loss of perceived social role, was an independent predictor of composite events (adjusted HR, 2.28; 95% CI, 1.36-3.82; p < 0.01). Inclusion of loss of perceived social role into the baseline prognostic model improved both the continuous net reclassification improvement (0.562; 95% CI, 0.298-0.827; p < 0.01) and integrated discrimination improvement (0.031; 95% CI, 0.006-0.056; p = 0.02). Conclusion: Loss of perceived social role is associated with increased adverse event risk and provides additive prognostic information in elderly HF patients.

Barthel Index Score Predicts Mortality in Elderly Heart Failure　- A Goal of Comprehensive Cardiac Rehabilitation.

BACKGROUND: A strategy to predict mortality in elderly heart failure (HF) patients has not been established.Methods and Results:We retrospectively enrolled 413 HF patients aged ≥65 years (mean age 78 years) who had received comprehensive cardiac rehabilitation (CR) during hospitalization. Basic activities of daily life were assessed before discharge using the Barthel index (BI). Of 413 HF patients, 116 (28%) died during a median follow-up period of 1.90 years (interquartile range 1.20-3.23 years). An adjusted dose-dependent association analysis showed that the hazard ratio (HR) of mortality increased in an almost linear manner as the BI score decreased, and that a BI score of 85 corresponded to an HR of 1.0. Kaplan-Meier survival curves showed that the survival rate was lower for patients with a low BI (<85) than for those with a high BI (≥85; 65% vs. 74%, respectively; P=0.007). In multivariate Cox regression analyses, low BI was independently associated with higher mortality after adjusting for predictors, including B-type natriuretic peptide. Inclusion of the BI into the adjusted model improved the accuracy of the prediction of mortality. CONCLUSIONS: A BI score <85 at the time of discharge is associated with increased mortality independent of known prognostic markers, and achieving functional status with a BI score ≥85 by comprehensive CR during hospitalization may contribute to favorable outcomes in elderly HF patients.

Energy intake during hospital stay predicts all-cause mortality after discharge independently of nutritional status in elderly heart failure patients.

OBJECTIVE: Malnutrition is associated with an increased risk of mortality in heart failure (HF) patients. Here, we examined the hypothesis that assessment of energy intake in addition to nutritional status improves the stratification of mortality risk in elderly HF patients. METHODS: We retrospectively examined 419 HF patients aged ≥ 65 years (median 78 years, 49% female). Nutritional status was assessed by the Mini Nutritional Assessment Short Form (MNA-SF), and daily energy intake was calculated from intake during 3 consecutive days before discharge. RESULTS: During a median 1.52-year period (IQR 0.96-2.94 years), 110 patients (26%) died. Kaplan-Meier survival curves showed that patients with low tertile of daily energy intake had a higher mortality rate than did patients with high or middle tertile of daily energy intake. In multivariate Cox regression analyses, low daily energy intake was independently associated with higher mortality after adjustment for the model including age, sex, BNP, Charlson Comorbidity Index, history of HF hospitalization, and cachexia in addition to MNA-SF. Inclusion of both MNA-SF and energy intake into the adjustment model improved the accuracy of prediction of the mortality after discharge (continuous net reclassification improvement, 0.355, p = 0.003; integrated discrimination improvement, 0.029, p = 0.003). Results of a fully adjusted dose-dependent association analysis showed that risk of all-cause mortality was lowest among HF patients who consumed 31.5 kcal/kg/day of energy. CONCLUSIONS: Energy intake during hospital stay is an independent predictor of the mortality in elderly HF patients, and its assessment together with established predictors improves the mortality risk stratification.

High percent body fat mass predicts lower risk of cardiac events in patients with heart failure: an explanation of the obesity paradox.

BACKGROUND: Although high body mass index (BMI) is a risk factor of heart failure (HF), HF patients with a higher BMI had a lower mortality rate than that in HF patients with normal or lower BMI, a phenomenon that has been termed the "obesity paradox". However, the relationship between body composition, i.e., fat or muscle mass, and clinical outcome in HF remains unclear. METHODS: We retrospectively analyzed data for 198 consecutive HF patients (76 years of age; males, 49%). Patients who were admitted to our institute for diagnosis and management of HF and received a dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry scan were included regardless of left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) categories. Muscle wasting was defined as appendicular skeletal muscle mass index < 7.0 kg/m2 in males and < 5.4 kg/m2 in females. Increased percent body fat mass (increased FM) was defined as percent body fat > 25% in males and > 30% in females. RESULTS: The median age of the patients was 76 years (interquartile range [IQR], 67-82 years) and 49% of them were male. The median LVEF was 47% (IQR, 33-63%) and 33% of the patients had heart failure with reduced ejection fraction. Increased FM and muscle wasting were observed in 58 and 67% of the enrolled patients, respectively. During a 180-day follow-up period, 32 patients (16%) had cardiac events defined as cardiac death or readmission by worsening HF or arrhythmia. Kaplan-Meier survival curves showed that patients with increased FM had a lower cardiac event rate than did patients without increased FM (11.4% vs. 22.6%, p = 0.03). Kaplan-Meier curves of cardiac event rates did not differ between patients with and those without muscle wasting (16.5% vs. 15.4%, p = 0.93). In multivariate Cox regression analyses, increased FM was independently associated with lower cardiac event rates (hazard ratio: 0.45, 95% confidence interval: 0.22-0.93) after adjustment for age, sex, diabetes, muscle wasting, and renal function. CONCLUSIONS: High percent body fat mass is associated with lower risk of short-term cardiac events in HF patients.

Clinical Risk Factors and Prognostic Impact of Osteoporosis in Patients With Chronic Heart Failure.

BACKGROUND: The clinical significance of osteoporosis in chronic heart failure (CHF) remains unclear.Methods and Results:A total of 303 CHF patients (75 years, [interquartile range (IQR) 66-82 years]; 41% female) were retrospectively examined. Bone mineral densities (BMDs) at the lumbar spine, femoral neck, and total femur were measured by using dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DEXA), and osteoporosis was diagnosed when the BMD at any of the 3 sites was <70% of the Young Adult Mean percentage (%YAM). The prevalence of osteoporosis in CHF patients was 40%. Patients with osteoporosis were older (79 [IQR, 74-86] vs. 72 [IQR, 62-80] years), included a large percentage of females, had slower gait speed and had a lower body mass index. Multivariate logistic regression analysis indicated that sex, BMI, gait speed, loop diuretics use and no use of direct oral anticoagulants (DOACs) were independently associated with osteoporosis. Kaplan-Meier survival curves showed that the rate of death and heart failure hospitalization was higher in patients with osteoporotic BMD at 2 or 3 sites than in patients without osteoporosis (hazard ratio 3.45, P<0.01). In multivariate Cox regression analyses, osteoporotic BMD at 2 or 3 sites was an independent predictor of adverse events after adjustment for prognostic markers. CONCLUSIONS: Loop diuretics use and no DOACs use are independently associated with osteoporosis in CHF patients. Osteoporosis is a novel predictor of worse outcome in patients with CHF.