[Red cell distribution width and mortality risk in acute heart failure patients]. / Amplitud de distribución eritrocitaria y riesgo de mortalidad en pacientes con insuficiencia cardiaca aguda.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: Red cell distribution width (RDW) is a quantitative measure of the variability in size of erythrocytes, and it is used for the differential diagnosis of anemia. Recent reports have suggested that high RDW could play a role for risk stratification in patients with chronic heart failure. However, the prognostic role of RDW in unselected population with acute heart failure (AHF), after a thoroughly multivariate adjustment, has not been well established. The aim of this study was to establish the association between RDW and long-term mortality in patients admitted for AHF. PATIENTS AND METHOD: We analyzed 1,190 consecutive patients admitted for AHF in our center. RDW measurement was performed on admission. RDW values were stratified into quartiles (Q) and the association of RDW with total mortality was assessed using Cox regression. RESULTS: After a median follow-up of 15 months (interquartile range 3-33 months) 458 (38%) deaths were identified. There was a progressive increase in mortality rates from Q1 to Q4: 1.34, 1.82, 2.56 and 3.53 per 10 patients-year of follow-up (for Q1, Q2, Q3 and Q4 respectively, P for trend <.001). In the multivariate analysis, this association remained independent for patients in Q3 (15-16%) and Q4 (>16%) versus Q1 (≤14%), hazard ratio (HR): 1.66, 95% confidence interval (95% CI) 1.24-2.22, P<.01, HR: 1.80, 95% CI 1.33-2.43, p<.01, respectively, in a model adjusted for established prognostic markers in AHF. CONCLUSION: In patients with AHF, higher RDW values were associated with increased long-term mortality.

[Carbohydrate antigen 125 serial measurements after an admission for acute heart failure and risk of early readmission]. / Mediciones seriadas de antígeno carbohidrato 125 tras un ingreso por insuficiencia cardiaca aguda y riesgo de reingreso precoz.

UNLABELLED: FUNDAMENT AND OBJECTIVES: The early readmission after a hospitalization for acute heart failure (AHF) is frequent; however, factors associated are not clearly established. Plasma levels of carbohydrate antigen 125 (CA125) have shown to be associated with the presence of systemic congestion and increased risk of death in patients with AHF. The aim of this study was to assess the relationship between CA125 levels (during hospitalization, at the first outpatient visit or their changes) and readmission for AHF at 6 months follow up. PATIENTS AND METHOD: We analyzed 293 consecutive patients hospitalized for AHF in which CA125 was determined during the index hospitalization (T1) and the first outpatient visit after discharge (T2) (median 31 days). We examined the relationship between CA125 levels, both isolated determinations as their serial changes (absolute, relative or categorical) and readmission for AHF by Cox regression analysis adjusted for competing events. The reclassification technique integrated discrimination improvement (IDI) index was used to assess the additional discriminative power of this biomarker over the final multivariate model. RESULTS: At 6 months follow up, we identified 32 (10.9%) and 54 (18.4%) deaths and readmissions for AHF, respectively. CA125 categorical changes [decrease and normalization (C1, n=153), decrease but no normalization at T2 (C2, n=72) and increase, with high levels at T2 (>35 U/ml) (C3, n=68)], followed by the isolated determination of CA125 at T2, showed the best discriminative accuracy. Thus, with respect to patients in the C1 category, patients in categories C2 and C3 showed a higher risk of readmission for AHF: C2 vs. C1: HR=3.48, 95% CI:1.84-6.59, p<0.001; C3 vs. C1: HR=3.18, 95% CI:1.62-6.21, p=0.001. On the other hand, patients with elevated levels of CA125 in T2 (>35 U/ml) (41%) tripled the risk of readmission for AHF at 6 months compared with those with normal levels of CA125 at T2: HR=3.06, 95% CI:1.79-5.23, p<0.001. The addition of the categories of serial measurements of CA125 and the presence of elevated levels of CA125 at T2 showed a significant increase in the discriminating power of 6.27% and 6.17% in the IDI index, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: After an episode of AHF, the elevation of CA125 levels (>35 U/ml) after the first weeks of admission is associated with an increased risk of readmission for AHF.