Chronic Heart Failure in Patients Hospitalized in 2002 and 2021: Comparative Analysis of Prevalence, Clinical Course and Drug Therapy.

AIM: Comparative analysis of the prevalence of chronic heart failure (CHF), clinical and medical history data, and drug therapy of patients admitted to a cardiology hospital in 2002 and 2021. MATERIAL AND METHODS: The study analyzed the medical records of patients with a confirmed diagnosis of CHF who were admitted in 2002 (n=210) and 2021 (n=381) to a specialized cardiology hospital. RESULTS: According to medical records of 2021, the proportion of patients with a confirmed diagnosis of CHF (87.6%) in the cohort of patients admitted to a cardiology hospital was twice as high as in 2002 (46.4%; p<0.001). The majority of patients with CHF in the study sample were patients with preserved left ventricular ejection fraction (HFpEF). The proportion of such patients significantly increased to reach 75.9% in 2021 compared to 58.6% in 2002 (p<0.001). At the same time, the number of severe forms of CHF (NYHA functional class (FC) IV) decreased by 10% and was 13.2% in 2002 and 1.3% in 2021 (p<0.001). In the majority of patients, ischemic heart disease (98.1 and 91.1% in 2002 and 2021, respectively, p<0.001) and hypertension (80.5 and 98.2%, respectively, p<0.001) were diagnosed as the cause for CHF. Furthermore, the incidence of comorbidity increased significantly: atrial fibrillation was detected in 12.3% of patients in 2002 and 26.4% in 2021 (p < 0.001); type 2 diabetes mellitus, in 14.3 and 32% of patients (p <0.001); and obesity, in 33.3 and 43.7% of patients, respectively (p=0.018). The frequency of using the major groups of drugs increased during the analyzed period: renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system blockers were administered to 71.9% of patients in 2002 and to 87.7% in 2021 (p<0.001); beta-blockers were administered to 53.3 and 82.4% of patients (p<0.001); and mineralocorticoid receptor antagonists, to 1.9 and 18.6% of patients, respectively (p=0.004). CONCLUSION: In 2021, the proportion of patients with a confirmed diagnosis of CHF in the patient cohort admitted to a cardiology hospital was twice as high as in 2002; the phenotype with preserved left ventricular ejection fraction predominated in the CHF structure. During the analyzed twenty-year period, the prevalence of comorbidities increased among CHF patients. The prescription frequency of pathogenetic evidence-based therapy has significantly increased by 2021, however, it remains insufficient even in patients with CHF with reduced left ventricular ejection fraction.

[Biomarkers of Inflammation in Predicting the Outcomes of Heart Failure of Ischemic Etiology: the Results of Factor Analysis].

AIM: To study the prognostic significance of inflammatory biomarkers in patients with chronic heart failure (CHF) and stenotic multivessel coronary atherosclerosis, with determination of the biomarker separate set that reflects subclinical inflammation and is associated with the development of cardiovascular complications during prospective observation. MATERIAL AND METHODS: A prospective observational study was conducted that included 80 patients with CHF and ischemic heart disease who were scheduled for coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) during their current hospitalization. In addition to routine clinical laboratory tests, coagulation parameters were evaluated and the following inflammatory biomarkers were determined: neutrophil gelatinase-associated lipocalin (NGAL), growth/differentiation factor 15 (GDF-15), fibroblast growth factor 23 (FGF-23), transforming growth factor beta-1 (TGF-ß1), and high-sensitivity C-reactive protein. Also, the calculated neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (N LR) was included in the analysis. Follow-up duration was at least 12 months (median 16 [13, 22] months). Statistical analysis of the data was performed with the IBM SPSS Statistics 21 software. RESULTS: The study presented results of a factor analysis of 10 inflammatory biomarkers in patients who were scheduled for CABG. One of the factors identified by the analysis included the levels of NGAL and GDF-15, N LR, and the level of fibrinogen in the blood in CHF patients with stenotic coronary atherosclerosis and was significantly associated with the death rate during prospective observation. Furthermore, this association remained significant even after adjustments for age, glomerular filtration rate, severity of heart and coronary insufficiency, and the presence of diabetes mellitus. CONCLUSION: In patients with CHF and stenotic coronary atherosclerosis, a set of inflammatory markers, including blood NGAL, GDF-15, N LR, and fibrinogen, can be combined into one factor reflecting subclinical inflammation. The value of this factor can be used to predict cardiovascular death in the long term after surgical myocardial revascularization.

Female and Male Phenotypes of Iron Deficiency in CHF. Additional analysis of the «The Prevalence of Iron Deficiency in Patients With Chronic Heart Failure in the Russian Federation (J-CHF-RF)¼ study.

Aim    To evaluate the incidence of iron deficiency (ID) in men and women with chronic heart failure (CHF) and to compare clinical and functional indexes in patient with and without ID depending on the gender.Material and methods    An additional analysis of the study "Prevalence of Iron Deficiency in Patients With Chronic Heart Failure in the Russian Federation (ID-CHF-RF)" was performed. The study included 498 (198 women, 300 men) patients with CHF, in whom, in addition to iron metabolism, the quality of life and exercise tolerance (ET) were studied. 97 % of patients were enrolled during their stay in a hospital. ID was defined in consistency with the European Society of Cardiology (ESC) Guidelines. Also, and additional analysis was performed according to ID criteria validated by the morphological picture of the bone marrow.Results    ID was detected in 174 (87.9 %) women and 239 (79.8 %) men (p=0.028) according to the ESC criteria, and in 154 (77.8 %) women and 217 (72.3 %) men (p=0.208) according to the criteria validated by the morphological picture of the bone marrow. Men with ID were older and had more severe CHF. They more frequently had HF functional class (FC) III and IV (63.4 % vs. 43.3 % in men without ID); higher concentrations of N-terminal pro-brain natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP) and lower ET. HF FC III increased the probability of ID presence 3.4 times (p=0.02) and the probability of HF FC IV 13.7 times (p=0.003). This clinical picture was characteristic of men when either method of determining ID was used. In women, ID was not associated with more severe CHF.Conclusion    Based on the presented analysis, it is possible to characterize the male and female ID phenotypes. The male ID phenotype is associated with more severe CHF, low ET, and poor quality of life. In females of the study cohort, ID was not associated with either the severity of CHF or with ET.

[Iron deficiency in cardiac surgery patients and the possibility of its correction at the preoperative stage].

Among cardio-surgical patients, the prevalence of iron deficiency conditions reaches 70 %, and anemia is detected in less than 50% cases. Meanwhile, both anemia and latent iron deficiency are risk factors for adverse outcomes in cardio-surgical patients. These conditions are associated with a high frequency and greater volume of blood transfusions as well as with a longer stay in the hospital. Timely diagnosis and correction of iron deficiency, regardless of the presence of anemia, are mandatory at the stage of preoperative preparation. The use of oral iron medicines is limited by their low efficacy in this category of patients and a high risk of adverse events. Intravenous iron medicines have a high potential for correcting iron deficiency, and their efficacy and safety have been previously demonstrated. Administration of ferric carboxymaltose has proved beneficial in studies on iron deficiency correction in cardiological and cardio-surgical patients. In these patients, ferric carboxymaltose improved the dynamics of ferritin and hemoglobin, reduced the risk of blood transfusion, and decreased the duration of stay in the hospital. Preoperative intravenous administration of ferric carboxymaltose to cardio-surgical patients can improve clinical outcomes and the cost effectiveness of cardiac surgery.

Interstitial Edema of the Interatrial Septum in Patients with Atrial Fibrillation and Chronic Heart Failure.

We studied the presence of interstitial edema of the interatrial septum in patients with chronic heart failure (CHF) with atrial fibrillation (n=23) or without rhythm disturbances (n=9). The intensity of the MRI signal of the interatrial septum, interventricular septum, and skeletal muscle by T2-weighted MRI and the enhancement index of interatrial septum (the ratio of the signal intensity of the interatrial septum to the signal intensity of the skeletal muscle) were evaluated. The enhancement index of interatrial septum ⩾2 was regarded as an MRI sign of myocardial edema. The enhancement index of interatrial septum in patients with persistent atrial fibrillation was 2.4 (2.21; 2.69) and was higher than in CHF patients with paroxysmal atrial fibrillation and in CHF patients without arrhythmias and surpassed the control values (p<0.05), which indicates the presence of MRI signs of edema of the myocardium of the interatrial septum. The obtained data confirm the presence of myocardial edema of the interatrial septum in CHF patients and persistent form of atrial fibrillation, which expands the understanding of the pathogenesis of this condition.

[Iron deficiency in Russia heart failure patients. Observational cross-sectional multicenter study].

Aim    To evaluate the prevalence of iron deficiency (ID) in Russian patients with heart failure (HF).Material and methods    Iron metabolism variables were studied in 498 (198 women, 300 men) patients with HF. Data were evaluated at admission for HF (97 %) or during an outpatient visit (3 %). ID was determined according to the European Society of Cardiology Guidelines.Results    83.1 % of patients had ID; only 43.5 % of patients with ID had anemia. Patients with ID were older: 70.0 [63.0;79.0] vs. 66.0 years [57.0;75.2] (p=0.009). The number of patients with ID increased in parallel with the increase in HF functional class (FC). Among patients with ID, fewer people were past or current alcohol users (p=0.002), and a greater number of patients had atrial fibrillation (60.1 vs. 45.2 %, p=0.016). A multiple logistic regression showed that more severe HF (HF FC) was associated with a higher incidence of ID detection, whereas past alcohol use was associated with less pronounced ID. An increase in N-terminal pro-brain natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP) by 100 pg/ml was associated with an increased likelihood of ID (odds ratio, 1.006, 95 % confidence interval: 1.002-1.011, p=0.0152).Conclusion    The incidence rate of HF patients is high in the Russian Federation (83.1 %). Only 43.5 % of these patients had anemia. The prevalence of ID in the study population increased with increases in HF FC and NT-proBNP.

Predictive value of laboratory markers in the development of cardiac events in patients with stable coronary artery disease after elective endovascular revascularization.

Aim      To reveal a relationship between preprocedural laboratory data and adverse cardiac outcomes (CO) in patients with stable ischemic heart disease (IHD) following elective endovascular revascularization (ER).Material and methods  This study included 225 patients with IHD admitted for treatment to the Research Institute of Cardiology of the Tomsk National Research Medical Center. The study included patients with documented IHD and hemodynamically significant coronary stenoses requiring elective ER. Patients were divided into groups based on the presence of complications: group 1, 98 patients with adverse CO and group 2, 127 patients without adverse CO. Besides evaluation of complaints, history, and objective status, general clinical and biochemical tests were performed for all patients. Concentration of glycated hemoglobin (НbА1с) was measured by immunoturbidimetry (DiaSys Diagnostic Systems). Serum concentrations of insulin, interleukin-6 (IL-6), endothelin 1 (ET-1), and homocysteine were measured by enzyme immunoassay. Blood lipid profile was determined by enzymatic colorimetry (DiaSys). Content of non-high-density lipoprotein (non-HDL) cholesterol (CS) was calculated as: CS - HDL CS. Insulin resistance (IR) was assessed by the HOMА-IR index. IR was diagnosed at the index of 2.77. Statistical analyses were performed with Statistica 10.0 and Medcalc 19.2.6 software.Results A one-way regression analysis identified predictors for adverse CO following ER. The most significant predictors were fibrinogen (odds ratio (OR), 1.430; 95 % confidence interval (CI), 1.027-1.990), HbA1c (OR 1.825; 95 % CI, 1.283-2.598), homocysteine (OR, 1.555; 95 % CI, 1.348-1.794), ET-1 (OR, 94.408; 95 % CI, 16.762-531.720), triglycerides (TG)/glucose ratio (OR 1.815; 95 % CI, 1.155-2.853). Based on selected factors, logistic regression models were constructed. However, not all models had a high prognostic power. Only concentrations of ET-1 and homocysteine showed a high prognostic capability in respect of the adverse outcome (88.3 and 85.7 %, respectively).Conclusion      For patients with IHD, the prognostic capability of ET-1 and homocysteine with respect of the risk for adverse CO following ER was the highest compared to other markers. The results of the study are completely consistent with data of literature and can be successfully used in clinical practice for optimizing the medical care of patients after elective ER.

Growth differentiation factor 15 associations with clinical features of chronic heart failure with midrange ejection fraction and preserved ejection fraction depending on the history of myocardial infarction.

Aim    To analyze associations between levels of the inflammatory marker, growth differentiation factor 15 (GDF-15), and echocardiographic indexes in CHF patients with mid-range and preserved left ventricular ejection fraction (LV EF) depending on the history of myocardial infarction (MI).Material and methods    This study included 34 CHF patients with preserved and mid-range LV EF after MI (group 1, n=19) and without a history of MI (group 2, n=15). Serum concentration of GDF-15 was measured with enzyme immunoassay (BioVendor, Czech Republic). Statistical analysis was performed with STATISTICA 10.0.Results    Patients of the study groups were age-matched [62 (58;67) and 64 (60;70) years, p=0.2] but differed in the gender; group 1 consisted of men only (100 %) whereas in group 2, the proportion of men was 53.3 % (p=0.001). Median concentration of GDF-15 was 2385 (2274; 2632.5) and 1997 (1534;2691) pg/ml in groups 1 and 2, respectively (p=0.09). Patients without MI showed a moderate negative correlation between LV EF and GDF-15 concentration (r= - 0.51, p=0.050) and a pronounced correlation between GDF-15 and LV stroke volume (r= -0.722, p=0.002). For patients after MI, a correlation between the level of GDF-15 and the degree of systolic dysfunction was not found (р>0.05).Conclusion    Blood concentration of the inflammatory marker, GDF-15, correlates with LV EF and stroke volume in CHF patients with preserved or mid-range LV EF and without a history of MI while no such correlations were observed for patients with a history of MI.

[The use of diuretics in chronic heart failure. Position paper of the Russian Heart Failure Society].

The document focuses on key issues of diuretic therapy in CHF from the standpoint of current views on the pathogenesis of edema syndrome, its diagnosis, and characteristics of using diuretics in various clinical situations.

[Patterns of immunological reactions in the pathogenesis of chronic heart failure: review].

The immune system is essential for maintaining the homeostasis. At present, there is convincing evidence for participation of the immune system in the pathogenesis of cardiovascular pathology, including the final step of cardiovascular continuum, heart failure. Objective difficulties in understanding subtle processes of loss of the normal cardiac structure and function are based on the diversity of pathogenetic factors of development and progression of chronic heart failure (CHF) and the involvement of most organs and body systems. Russian and international scientists actively study issues of immune homeostasis, including the efficacy of current immune therapy. At the same time, available reports are largely uncompiled and reflect isolated parts of the immunopathogenesis of cardiovascular diseases. This review focuses on comprehensive elucidation of major patterns of immune processes in the CHF pathogenesis to form an integral view of the problem under study.

[The effectiveness of resuscitation in patients with acute myocardial infarction according to the population register].

Aim To study clinical and anamnestic features and tactics of managing patients with acute myocardial infarction (MI) in groups with different effectiveness of resuscitation procedures.Materials and methods Patients were selected using the "Acute Myocardial Infarction Registry" epidemiological program. 219 cases of acute MI recorded from 2007 through 2017, which required emergency life support, were studied. Two groups were formed based on success of the resuscitation: group 1 consisted of patients with acute MI who survived due to the cardiovascular life support (n=61); group 2 included fatal cases after resuscitation failure (n=158). Quantitative variables were described as median and interquartile range, Ме (Q1; Q3); comparison was performed in two independent samples using the Mann-Whitney test. Qualitative variables were presented as absolute and relative values (n (%)). Statistical significance of differences in nominal properties was determined with contingency tables (Pearson χ2; two-tailed Fisher's exact test). Critical level of two-tailed significance was set equal to 0.05.Results The groups consisted of severe cases at baseline. The groups were sex- and age-matched. Mean age of patients in groups 1 and 2 was 63.5±13.1 and 60.9±14.8 years, respectively (р=0.2); in both groups, females were considerably older than males. Analysis of preceding drug therapy showed that comparable proportions of patients received antihypertensive and/or anti-ischemic treatment; however, the qualitative composition of the therapies was significantly different in these group. Thus, survived patients more frequently than deceased patients received drugs from vitally important groups, including ß-blockers (93 % and 13 %, р<0.001), antiplatelets (97 % and 13 %, р<0.001), statins (84 % and 5 %, р<0.001), and angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors (90 % and 8 %, р<0.001). In additions. success of resuscitation procedures was interrelated with the clinical picture. Thus, in atypical MI, the rate of fatal outcomes was higher (89 % and 56.5 %, р<0.001) despite the life support.Conclusion The patients who survived due to resuscitation procedures more frequently had a history of adequate drug therapy for ischemic heart disease and arterial hypertension with ß-blockers, ACE inhibitors, antiplatelets, and statins. In this group, MI mostly had a clinical picture of a prolonged anginal attack. The long-term prediction for survivors after successful resuscitation presently remains important and requires further study.

Corrigendum to "The Impact of Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus on Long-Term Prognosis in Patients of Different Ages with Myocardial Infarction".

[This corrects the article DOI: 10.1155/2018/1780683.].

The Impact of Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus on Long-Term Prognosis in Patients of Different Ages with Myocardial Infarction.

The objective of the study was to assess the impact of DM2 at baseline on long-term mortality after acute myocardial infarction (MI) among different age groups. The data were taken from: "Register of Acute Myocardial Infarction." A total of 862 patients were followed for five years after acute myocardial infarction. The primary endpoint was death from any cause. The patients were categorized into 2 groups based on their ages: group 1-comprised patients older than working age (n = 358) and group 2-comprised employable patients (n = 504). A total of 208 patients were diagnosed with both cardiovascular disease and DM2. Elderly patients with DM2 had worse prognosis and increased five-year mortality compared with patients of the same age group without DM2. Statistically significant differences in long-term outcomes were found in adult patients (p = 0.004) only in group with longer duration of diabetes, unlike the group with DM2 onset. In conclusion, Type 2 DM increased 5-year mortality rate of elderly patients with myocardial infarction. However, younger patients with both myocardial infarction and DM2 had more complications in the early post-MI period compared with patients of the same age group without DM2 but did not show any statistically significant differences in the long-term outcome.

Characteristics and treatment of patients with heart failure admitted to a cardiology department in 2002 and 2016.

AIM: To investigate the difference in characteristics of patients admitted to the Tomsk National Research Medical Center with a diagnosis of heart failure (HF) in 2002 and 2016. METHODS: Medical charts of all patients hospitalised in a single centre, with a diagnosis of HF, were included. Two three­month periods were compared from January 2002 (n=210) and January 2016 (n=378). RESULTS: Fewer patients with HF had symptoms or required diuretics in 2016 (63 % vs 98,6 %, p<0.001). During this period the percentage of patients with HFpEF increased from 58.6 % to 74.1 % (p=0.001) whereas those with HFrEF remained similar (19.5 % vs 14.0 %, p=0.1) and those with HFmrEF declined (21.9 % vs 11,9 %, p=0.007). In patients with HFrEF the prescription of ACEi / ARB remained similar (80.4 vs 88 %, p=0.3), beta­blockers increased from 68 to 85 % (p=0.03) and aldosterone antagonists from 9.7 to 49 % (p<0.001). CONCLUSION: Prescription rates for prognostic medications in HFrEF improved in 2016. The substantial percentage of patients diagnosed with HFpEF without symptoms or diuretic raises the question of whether a diagnosis of HF was appropriate in some cases.

[Longterm survival of elderly patients after myocardial infarction depending on management in the acute period of the disease.]

The paper presents the results of study 5-year survival of elderly patient after acute myocardial infarction. It is shown that this category of patients, used less invasive diagnostic and treatment strategy, compared with younger. In our study the effectiveness of primary percutaneous coronary intervention confirmed in patients with myocardial infarction with ST-segment elevation (STEMI) in relation to long-term survival. However, between the groups of successful thrombolytic therapy and pharmacoinvasive treatment strategy, no significant differences have been identified. This fact and the conflicting data of modern researches in this area confirm that the choice of treatment strategy of acute myocardial infarction in the elderly is challenging and requires an individual approach.

[Myocardial infarction at the border of two centuries: demographic and social tendencies].

The aim of the study was to compare the incidence, onset, and the course of acute myocardial infarction (AMI) among the population of Tomsk in 1984 and 2013. Materials and Methods: The study was based on the analytic database of the World Health Organization epidemiology program AMI Registry (RAMI). Epidemiology of AMI was studied among the urban population aged 20 years and older. A total of 739 and 983 AMI cases were analyzed in 1984 and 2013 respectively. Results: The proportion ofpatients older than 60 years significantly increased in the age structure of AMI patients during the study period. The occurrence of AMI with atypical clinical onset increased by three times; anamnestic background of AMI worsened; and the number of episodes with preinfarction angina increased. Analysis of the AMIpicture revealed an increase in the occurrence of Q (QS)-wave myocardial infarction and a significant rise in the frequency of complications; the frequency of chronic heart failure, cardiac arrhythmias, and recurrent AMI was especially high. Conclusion: An increase in the proportion of elderly and senile people in the age structure resulted in an aggravation of the diagnostic and prognostic features of AMI during the study period. Evidently, the existing situation requires optimization of medical assistance for patients of older age groups with emphasis on the development and the implementation of recommendations concerning the prediction, diagnosis, treatment, and rehabilitation of these patients.