Hospital admissions in the last year of life of patients with heart failure.

AIM: To explore the frequency, causes, and pattern of hospitalisation for patients with chronic heart failure (HF) in the 12 months preceding death. We also investigated cause of death. METHODS: Patients referred to a secondary care HF clinic were routinely consented for follow-up between 2001 and 2020 and classified into three phenotypes: (i) HF with reduced ejection fraction (HFrEF), (ii) HF with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF) with plasma N-terminal pro B-type natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP) 125-399 ng L-1, and (iii) HFpEF with NT-proBNP ≥400 ng L-1. Hospital admissions in the last year of life were classified as: HF, other cardiovascular (CV), or non-cardiovascular (non-CV). The cause of death was systematically adjudicated. RESULTS: A total of 4925 patients (38% women; median age at death 81 [75-87] years) had 9127 hospitalisations in the last year of life. The median number of hospitalisations was 2 (1-3) and total days spent in hospital was 12 (2-25). Out of the total, 83% of patients had ≥1 hospitalisation but only 20% had ≥1 HF hospitalisation; 24% had ≥1 CV hospitalisation; 70% had ≥1 non-CV hospitalisation. Heart failure hospitalisations were most common in patients with HFrEF, but in all groups, at least two thirds of admissions were for non-CV causes. There were 788 (16%) deaths due to progressive HF, of which 74% occurred in hospital. CONCLUSION: For patients with chronic HF in the last year of life, most hospitalisations were for non-CV causes regardless of HF phenotype. Most patients had no HF hospitalisations in their last year of life. Most deaths were from causes other than progressive HF.

Medicines optimization prior to discharge in patients admitted to hospital with heart failure.

AIMS: Approximately half of patients with heart failure and a reduced ejection fraction (HeFREF) are discharged from hospital on triple therapy [angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors (ACE-Is) or angiotensin receptor blockers (ARBs), beta-blockers (BBs), and mineralocorticoid receptor antagonists (MRAs)]. We investigated what proportion of patients are on optimal doses prior to discharge and how many might be eligible for initiation of sacubitril-valsartan or sodium-glucose co-transporter-2 inhibitors (SGLT2Is). METHODS AND RESULTS: Between 2012 and 2017, 1277 patients admitted with suspected heart failure were enrolled at a single hospital serving a local community around Kingston upon Hull, UK. Eligibility for sacubitril-valsartan or SGLT2I was based on entry criteria for the PIONEER-HF, DAPA-HF, and EMPEROR-Reduced trials. Four hundred fifty-five patients had HeFREF with complete data on renal function, heart rate, and systolic blood pressure (SBP) prior to discharge. Eighty-three per cent of patients were taking an ACE-I or ARB, 85% a BB, and 63% an MRA at discharge. More than 60% of patients were eligible for sacubitril-valsartan and >70% for SGLT2I. Among those not already receiving a prescription, 37%, 28%, and 49% were eligible to start ACE-I or ARB, BB, and MRA, respectively. Low SBP (≤105 mmHg) was the most frequent explanation for failure to initiate or up-titrate therapy. CONCLUSIONS: Most patients admitted for heart failure are eligible for initiation of life-prolonging medications prior to discharge. A hospital admission may be a common missed opportunity to improve treatment for patients with HeFREF.

Influence of serum transferrin concentration on diagnostic criteria for iron deficiency in chronic heart failure.

AIMS: Transferrin saturation (TSAT), a marker of iron deficiency, reflects both serum concentrations of iron (SIC) and transferrin (STC). TSAT is susceptible to changes in each of these biomarkers. Little is known about determinants of STC and its influence on TSAT and mortality in patients with heart failure. Accordingly, we studied the relationship of STC to clinical characteristics, to markers of iron deficiency and inflammation and to mortality in chronic heart failure (CHF). METHODS AND RESULTS: Prospective cohort of patients with CHF attending a clinic serving a large local population. A total of 4422 patients were included (median age 75 (68-82) years; 40% women; 32% with left ventricular ejection fraction ≤40%). STC ≤ 2.3 g/L (lowest quartile) was associated with older age, lower SIC and haemoglobin and higher high-sensitivity C-reactive protein, ferritin and N-terminal pro-brain natriuretic peptide compared with those with STC > 2.3 g/L. In the lowest STC quartile, 624 (52%) patients had SIC ≤13 µmol/L, of whom 38% had TSAT ≥20%. For patients in the highest STC quartile, TSAT was <20% when SIC was >13 µmol/L in 185 (17%) patients. STC correlated inversely with ferritin (r = -0.52) and high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (r = -0.17) and directly with albumin (r = 0.29); all P < 0.001. In models adjusted for age, N-terminal pro-brain natriuretic peptide and haemoglobin, both higher SIC (hazard ratio 0.87 [95% CI: 0.81-0.95]) and STC (hazard ratio 0.82 [95% CI: 0.73-0.91]) were associated with lower mortality. SIC was more strongly associated with both anaemia and mortality than either STC or TSAT. CONCLUSIONS: Many patients with CHF and a low STC have low SIC even when TSAT is >20% and serum ferritin >100 µg/L; such patients have a high prevalence of anaemia and a poor prognosis and might have iron deficiency but are currently excluded from clinical trials of iron repletion.

Optimal Management of Heart Failure and Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease: Clinical Challenges.

Heart failure (HF) and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) are common causes of breathlessness which frequently co-exist; one potentially exacerbating the other. Distinguishing between the two can be challenging due to their similar symptomatology and overlapping risk factors, but a timely and correct diagnosis is potentially lifesaving. Modern treatment for HF can substantially improve symptoms and prognosis for many patients and may have beneficial effects for patients with COPD. Conversely, while many inhaled treatments for COPD can improve symptoms and reduce exacerbations, there is conflicting evidence regarding the safety of some inhaled treatments for COPD in patients with HF. Here we explore the overlap between HF and COPD, examine the effect of one condition on the other, and address the challenges of managing patients with both conditions.

Criteria for Iron Deficiency in Patients With Heart Failure.

BACKGROUND: Guidelines on heart failure (HF) define iron deficiency (ID) as a serum ferritin <100 ng/mL or, when 100-299 ng/mL, a transferrin saturation (TSAT) <20%. Inflammation (common in HF) may hinder interpretation of serum ferritin. OBJECTIVES: This study sought to investigate how different definitions of ID affect its prevalence and relationship to prognosis in ambulatory patients with chronic HF. METHODS: Prevalence, relationship with patients' characteristics, and outcomes of various ID definitions were evaluated among patients with HF referred to a regional clinic (Hull LifeLab) from 2001 to 2019. RESULTS: Of 4,422 patients with HF (median age 75 years [range: 68-82 years], 60% men, 32% with reduced left ventricular ejection fraction), 46% had TSAT <20%, 48% had serum iron ≤13 µmol/L, 57% had serum ferritin <100 ng/mL, and 68% fulfilled current guideline criteria for ID, of whom 35% had a TSAT >20%. Irrespective of definition, ID was more common in women and those with more severe symptoms, anemia, or preserved ejection fraction. TSAT <20% and serum iron ≤13 µmol/L, but not guideline criteria, were associated with higher 5-year mortality (HR: 1.27; 95% CI: 1.14-1.43; P < 0.001; and HR: 1.37; 95% CI: 1.22-1.54; P < 0.001, respectively). Serum ferritin <100 ng/mL tended to be associated with lower mortality (HR: 0.91; 95% CI: 0.81-1.01; P = 0.09). CONCLUSIONS: Different definitions of ID provide discordant results for prevalence and prognosis. Definitions lacking specificity may attenuate the benefits of intravenous iron observed in trials while definitions lacking sensitivity may exclude patients who should receive intravenous iron. Prespecified subgroup analyses of ongoing randomized trials should address this issue.

Relation Between Thyroid Function and Mortality in Patients With Chronic Heart Failure.

Thyroid dysfunction is common in patients with chronic heart failure (CHF), but there is conflicting evidence regarding its prognostic significance. We investigated the relation between thyroid function and prognosis in a large, well characterized cohort of ambulatory patients with CHF. Heart failure was defined as signs and symptoms of the disease and either left ventricular systolic dysfunction (LVSD) mild or worse (heart failure with reduced ejection fraction [HFrEF]), or no LVSD and raised amino-terminal pro-B-type natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP) levels (>125 ng/L; heart failure with normal ejection fraction [HFnEF]). Euthyroid state was defined as a thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH) level between 0.35 and 4.70 mIU/l, hypothyroidism as TSH >4.70 mIU/l, and hyperthyroidism as TSH <0.35 mIU/l. 2997 patients had HFrEF and 1995 patients had HFnEF. 4491 (90%) patients were euthyroid, 312 (6%) were hypothyroid, and 189 (4%) were hyperthyroid. In univariable analysis, both hypothyroid patients (hazard ratio [HR] 1.25, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.08 to 1.45) and hyperthyroid patients (HR 1.21, 95% CI 1.01 to 1.46) had a greater risk of death compared with euthyroid patients. There was a U-shaped relation between TSH and outcome. Increasing TSH was a predictor of mortality in univariable analysis (HR 1.02, 95% CI 1.01 to 1.03), but the association disappeared in multivariable analysis. The three strongest predictors of adverse outcome were increasing age, increasing NT-proBNP, and higher NYHA class. In conclusion, although thyroid dysfunction is associated with worse survival in patients with CHF, it is not an independent predictor of mortality.

The prevalence and clinical associations of ultrasound measures of congestion in patients at risk of developing heart failure.

AIMS: Congestion is a cardinal feature of untreated heart failure (HF) and might be detected by ultrasound (US) before overt clinical signs appear. METHODS AND RESULTS: We investigated the prevalence and clinical associations of subclinical congestion in 238 patients with at least one clinical risk factor for HF (diabetes, ischaemic heart disease, or hypertension) using three US variables: (i) inferior vena cava (IVC) diameter; (ii) jugular vein distensibility (JVD) ratio (the ratio of the jugular vein diameter during the Valsalva manoeuvre to that at rest); (iii) the number of B-lines from a 28-point lung US. US congestion was defined as IVC diameter > 2.0 cm, JVD ratio < 4.0 or B-lines count > 14. The prevalence of subclinical congestion (defined as at least one positive US marker of congestion) was 30% (13% by IVC diameter, 9% by JVD ratio and 13% by B-line quantification). Compared to patients with no congestion on US, those with at least one marker had larger left atria and higher plasma concentrations of natriuretic peptides. Patients with raised plasma N-terminal pro-B-type natriuretic peptide/B-type natriuretic peptide had a lower JVD ratio (7.69 vs. 8.80; P = 0.05) and more often had at least one lung B-line (74% vs. 63%; P = 0.05). However, plasma natriuretic peptide concentrations were more closely related to left atrial volume than other US measures of congestion. CONCLUSIONS: Subclinical evidence of congestion by US is common in patients with clinical risk factors for HF. Whether these measurements provide additional value for predicting the development of HF and its prevention deserves consideration.

Cardiovascular Outcomes with Sacubitril-Valsartan in Heart Failure: Emerging Clinical Data.

One of the defining features of heart failure (HF) is neurohormonal activation. The renin-angiotensin-aldosterone-system (RAAS) and sympathetic nervous system (SNS) cause vasoconstriction and fluid retention and, in response, the secretion of natriuretic peptides (NPs) from volume and pressure-overloaded myocardium promotes vasodilation and diuresis. Inhibition of the RAAS with either angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors (ACEI) or angiotensin receptor blockers (ARB) has been the cornerstone of medical treatment for HF with a reduced ejection fraction (HFrEF) but, until recently, it was unclear how the beneficial effects of NPs may be augmented in patients with HF. Neprilysin, a metalloproteinase widely distributed throughout the body, plays a role in degrading the gross excess of circulating NPs in patients with HF. Early studies of neprilysin inhibition suggested possible physiological benefits. In 2014, the PARADIGM-HF trial found that sacubitril-valsartan, a combination of the ARB valsartan, and the neprilysin inhibitor sacubitril, was superior to enalapril in patients with HFrEF, reducing the relative risk of cardiovascular (CV) death or first hospitalisation with HF by 20%. Almost half of the patients with HF symptoms have a "preserved" ejection fraction (HFpEF); however, the PARAGON-HF study found that sacubitril-valsartan in patients with LVEF ≥45% had no effect on CV death or first and recurrent hospitalisations with HF compared to valsartan. Guidelines across the world have changed to include sacubitril-valsartan for patients with HFrEF yet, nearly 6 years after PARADIGM-HF, there is still uncertainty as to when and in whom sacubitril-valsartan should be started. Furthermore, there may yet be subsets of patients with HFpEF who might benefit from treatment with sacubitril-valsartan. This review will describe the mechanisms behind the outcome benefit of sacubitril-valsartan in patients with HFrEF and to consider its future role in the management of patients with HF.

Hypochloraemia in Patients with Heart Failure: Causes and Consequences.

Hypochloraemia is a common electrolyte abnormality in patients with heart failure (HF). It has a strong association with adverse outcome regardless of HF phenotype and independent of other prognostic markers. How hypochloraemia develops in a patient with HF and how it might influence outcome are not clear, and in this review we explore the possible mechanisms. Patients with HF and hypochloraemia almost invariably take higher doses of loop diuretic than patients with normal chloride levels. However, renal chloride and bicarbonate homeostasis are closely linked, and the latter may be influenced by neurohormonal activation: it is likely that the etiology of hypochloraemia in patients with HF is multifactorial and due to more than just diuretic-induced urinary losses. There are multiple proposed mechanisms by which low chloride concentrations may lead to an adverse outcome in patients with HF: by increasing renin release; by a stimulatory effect on the with-no-lysine kinases which might increase renal sodium-chloride co-transporter activity; and by an adverse effect on myocardial conduction and contractility. None of these proposed mechanisms are proven in humans with HF. However, if true, it might suggest that hypochloraemia is a therapeutic target that might be amenable to treatment with acetazolamide or chloride supplementation.

Are there patients missing from community heart failure registers? An audit of clinical practice.

BACKGROUND: General practitioners in the UK are financially incentivised, via the Quality Outcomes Framework, to maintain a record of all patients at their practice with heart failure and manage them appropriately. The prevalence of heart failure recorded in primary care registers (0.7-1.0%) is less than reported in epidemiological studies (3-5%). Using an audit of clinical practice, we set out to investigate if there are patients 'missing' from primary care heart failure registers and what the underlying mechanisms might be. DESIGN: The design of this study was as an audit of clinical practice at a UK general practice ( n = 9390). METHODS: Audit software (ENHANCE-HF) was used to identify patients who may have heart failure via a series of hierarchical searches of electronic records. Heart failure was then confirmed or excluded based on the electronic records by a heart failure specialist nurse and patients added to the register. Outcome data for patients without heart failure was collected after two years. RESULTS: Heart failure prevalence was 0.63% at baseline and 1.12% after the audit. Inaccurate coding accounted for the majority of missing patients. Amongst patients without heart failure who were taking a loop diuretic, the rate of incident heart failure was 13% and the rate of death or hospitalization with heart failure was 25% respectively during two-year follow-up. CONCLUSION: There are many patients missing from community heart failure registers which may detriment patient outcome and practice income. Patients without heart failure who take loop diuretics are at high risk of heart failure-related events.

The impact of heart failure and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease on mortality in patients presenting with breathlessness.

BACKGROUND: Differentiating heart failure from chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) in a patient presenting with breathlessness is difficult but may have implications for outcome. We investigated the prognostic impact of diagnoses of COPD and/or heart failure in consecutive patients presenting to a secondary care clinic with breathlessness. METHODS: In patients with left ventricular systolic dysfunction (LVSD) by visual estimation, N-terminal pro B-type natriuretic peptide (NTproBNP) levels and spirometry were evaluated (N = 4986). Heart failure was defined as either LVSD worse than mild (heart failure with reduced ejection fraction) or LVSD mild or better and raised NTproBNP levels (> 400 ng/L) (heart failure with normal ejection fraction). COPD was defined as forced expiratory volume in 1 s (FEV1) to forced vital capacity (FVC) ratio < 0.7. The primary outcome was all-cause mortality. RESULTS: 1764 (35%) patients had heart failure alone, 585 (12%) had COPD alone, 1751 (35%) had heart failure and COPD, and 886 (18%) had neither. Compared to patients with neither diagnosis, those with COPD alone [hazard ratio (HR) = 1.84 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.40-2.43], heart failure alone [HR = 4.40 (95% CI 3.54-5.46)] or heart failure and COPD [HR = 5.44 (95% CI 4.39-6.75)] had a greater risk of death. COPD was not associated with increased risk of death in patients with heart failure on a multivariable analysis. CONCLUSION: While COPD is associated with increased risk of death compared to patients with neither heart failure nor COPD, it has a negligible impact on prognosis amongst patients with heart failure.

Low serum chloride in patients with chronic heart failure: clinical associations and prognostic significance.

BACKGROUND: Low serum chloride is common in patients with chronic heart failure (CHF) and is associated with worse outcomes. We investigated the clinical and prognostic associations, including cause of death associations, of low serum chloride in patients referred to a secondary care clinic with suspected heart failure. METHODS AND RESULTS: Patients with echocardiogram and serum chloride were evaluated (n = 5613). CHF was defined as signs and symptoms of the disease and either left ventricular systolic dysfunction (LVSD) worse than mild [heart failure with reduced ejection fraction (HFrEF)] or LVSD mild or better and raised amino-terminal pro-B-type natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP) levels (>125 ng/L) [heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF)]. Hypochloraemia was defined as greater than two standard deviations below the mean in the local normal distribution (<96 mmol/L). Of the 5613 patients referred, 908 patients did not have CHF, 1988 had HFrEF, and 2717 had HFpEF. Compared to patients in the fourth quartile (median chloride 106 mmol/L), patients in the first quartile (median chloride 96 mmol/L) had more severe symptoms (38% New York Heart Association class III or IV vs. 25%, P < 0.001) and were more likely to take loop diuretics (79% vs. 55%, P < 0.001). The annual mortality rate for patients with CHF was 11%. Hypochloraemia was associated with an increased risk of death independent of NT-proBNP. Patients in the first quartile had a two-fold increased risk of death compared to patients in the fourth quartile (P < 0.001). Sudden death was a common mode of death amongst patients with hypochloraemia. CONCLUSIONS: Hypochloraemia is strongly related to an adverse prognosis and may be a therapeutic target in patients with CHF.

Interatrial shunt devices for heart failure with normal ejection fraction: a technology update.

Heart failure with normal ejection fraction (HeFNEF) accounts for ~50% of heart failure admissions. Its pathophysiology and diagnostic criteria are yet to be defined clearly which may hinder the search for effective treatments. The clinical hallmark of HeFNEF is exertional breathlessness, often due to an abnormal increase in left atrial pressure during exercise. Creation of an interatrial communication to offload the left atrium is a possible therapeutic approach. There are two percutaneously delivered devices currently under investigation which are discussed in this review.

New pharmacological approaches in heart failure therapy: developments and possibilities.

There have been few major breakthroughs in heart failure (HF) drug therapies in recent years yet HF morbidity and mortality remain high, and there is a clear need for further research. Several newer agents that appear promising in Phase I and II trials do not progress to show clinical benefit in later trials. Part of the failure to find new therapies may lie in flawed trial design compounded by the need for ever-increasing patient numbers in order to prove outcome benefit. We summarize some of the most recent and promising medical therapies for HF.