Interleukin-6, infection and cardiovascular outcomes in acute heart failure: Findings from the EDIFICA registry.

AIMS: Interleukin-6 (IL-6) is upregulated in response to infectious and inflammatory triggers and independently predicts all-cause mortality in acute heart failure (AHF). However, the association of IL-6 with cardiovascular outcomes and its interplay with C-reactive protein and infection, a major precipitating factor in AHF, remains poorly understood. METHODS AND RESULTS: The association between IL-6 and clinical outcomes (180 days) in AHF was evaluated using a cohort of 164 patients from the EDIFICA registry. Median IL-6 levels at admission were 17.4 pg/mL. Patients in the higher admission IL-6 tertile presented with lower blood pressure and more congestion, were diagnosed more frequently with infection, and had a longer hospital stay. Higher IL-6 levels were associated with increased risk of HF rehospitalization (hazard ratio per log2 3.69, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.26-10.8, p =.017) and the composite of HF rehospitalization or cardiovascular death (hazard ratio per log2 3.50; 95% CI 1.28-9.57; p =.014), independently of major AHF prognosticators, including B-type natriuretic peptide and renal function. However, no independent associations were found for all-cause rehospitalization or mortality. Despite a moderate correlation of IL-6 with C-reactive protein (CRP) levels (R = .51), the latter were not associated with clinical outcomes in this population. CONCLUSIONS: IL-6 levels associate with higher rate of cardiovascular events in AHF, independently of classical prognosticators and evidence of infection, outperforming CRP as an inflammatory outcome biomarker.

Walking Speed and Mortality: An Updated Systematic Review.

OBJECTIVE: The aim of our systematic review was to update the current evidence on the association between slow walking speed (WS) and mortality, expanding the current knowledge available in the literature. METHODS: A systematic review of the published data on the association of WS and mortality was carried out by searching on PubMed and ISI Web of Knowledge databases. RESULTS: From a title and abstract analysis, 61 articles were included that met the prespecified criteria. After a full-text analysis, 6 articles were excluded and the remaining articles accounted for 120,838 patients and > 25,148 deaths were registered. The duration of follow-ups ranged between 2 and 21 years. In general, studies have shown a consistent association between WS and mortality from all causes. CONCLUSIONS: WS showed continuous and consistent evidence to be a good predictor of mortality. As such, our study supports the use of this tool in clinical practice as a way to improve health care.

Even a low comorbidity burden predicts poor outcome in chronic heart failure.

BACKGROUND: Patients with heart failure (HF) often have multiple cardiovascular risk factors (CVRF) and comorbidities (CMB). We evaluated the impact of additive CMB and CVRF in HF prognosis. METHODS: We retrospectively analyzed ambulatory patients with systolic dysfunction between January 2012 and May 2018. Follow-up: until January 2021. Endpoint: all-cause death. CVRF analyzed: Arterial hypertension, Diabetes mellitus and smoking. CMB evaluated: coronary artery disease, non-coronary atherosclerotic disease, respiratory disease, dementia, anemia, chronic kidney disease, inflammatory/autoimmune disease, active cancer and atrial fibrillation. Classification according to the number of CVRF and/or CMB: < 2 and ≥ 2. The independent prognostic impact of CVRF/CMB burden was assessed with multivariate Cox-regression. RESULTS: Most patients had ≥ 2 CMB (67.9%). Regarding CVRF, 14.9% presented none, 40.2% had one and 32.1% had two. During a median 49-month follow-up, 419 (49.1%) patients died. Mortality was higher among patients with ≥2 CVRF (56.1 vs 43.4% in those with <2) and in those with ≥2 CMB (57.7 vs 31.0%). While patients with one CMB had similar mortality than those with none. Patients with ≥2 CMB had higher long-term mortality risk: HR=2.47 (95% CI: 1.95-3.14). In patients with ≥2CVRF: HR of dying = 1.39 (1.14- 1.70). When taken together there was a clear survival disadvantage for patients with ≥ 2 CVRF/CMB - adjusted HR: 2.20 (1.45-3.34). CONCLUSION: The presence of only 2 CVRF/CMB more than doubles the patients´ risk of dying. CVRF and CMB should be assessed as part of routine patient management.

LEPTOSPIROSIS AND LIVER ABSCESS: AN UNUSUAL ASSOCIATION.

Leptospirosis is a zoonotic infection infrequently reported in non-tropical regions. Although classically described as a biphasic illness, unusual clinical manifestations have been reported, including a previous case of a lung abscess associated with this causative agent. We present the case of a 49-year-old man with a new diagnosis of two liver abscesses associated with leptospirosis. LEARNING POINTS: Leptospirosis is a zoonosis caused by spirochetes of the genus Leptospira; the infection is more commonly reported in tropical regions.Leptospirosis classically manifests as a biphasic illness, the first phase characterized by high fever that coincides with leptospiraemia, followed by a brief period when the patient is afebrile. In the second phase, fever returns, accompanied by jaundice and renal failure.The unusual clinical manifestations of leptospirosis include a previous report of a lung abscess, but despite frequent liver involvement, liver abscess in this context has not previously been described.

Benzodiazepine use and mortality in chronic heart failure.

INTRODUCTION: The prognostic implications of using benzodiazepines (BZD) in heart failure (HF) patients are still unknown. OBJECTIVES: This study aimed to assess the association of BZD use with all­cause death in ambulatory, chronic HF patients. PATIENTS AND METHODS: We investigated a retrospective cohort of ambulatory HF patients with left ventricular systolic dysfunction (LVSD). The patients were followed up from their first medical appointment until January 2021 and all­cause mortality was the primary end point. The Cox regression analysis was used to assess the association between BZD use and all­cause mortality. Subgroup analyses were performed considering age, sex, body mass index (BMI), respiratory disease, chronic kidney disease (CKD), and New York Heart Association (NYHA) class. Multivariable models were built to account for confounders. RESULTS: We studied 854 patients (69% men), of mean (SD) age 71 (13) years, of whom 51% had severe LSVD, and 242 (28.3%) regularly used BZD. During a median follow­up of 46 months, 443 patients (51.9%) died. BZD use predicted no crude survival disadvantage in the entire investigated group and in the subgroup analysis according to sex, respiratory disease, BMI, and NYHA class. BZD use was not mortality­associated among patients aged 75 years and younger. However, in those older than 75 years the hazard ratio (HR) of all­cause death was 1.3 (95% CI, 0.99-1.69; P = 0.06). BZD use seemed safe in the patients without CKD, but in those with CKD it was associated with worse survival (HR, 1.33; 95% CI, 1.02-1.73). In a multivariable­adjusted analysis, the use of BZD was independently associated with increased death risk (HR, 1.36; 95% CI, 1.06-1.75). CONCLUSIONS: The patients medicated with BZD presented a 36% higher risk of dying. BZD should probably be used with caution, particularly in older HF patients and in those with CKD.

Uveo-Meningitis and Myelodysplastic Syndrome.

Uveo-meningeal syndromes are any disorder characterized by the involvement of the uvea and the meninges. They can have multiple causes, including infectious, autoimmune and malignant diseases. We report the case of a patient with a 10-year-old diagnosis of myelodysplastic syndrome that had been stable. He presented with new onset uveitis, ataxia, diplopia and fluctuating consciousness level, without any obvious cause revealed by brain imaging or blood chemistries. An extensive aetiological search showed no obvious cause. Initially, the patient improved spontaneously and was discharged. However, 2 months later, he deteriorated once again, this time with disperse adenomegalies that were not present previously. The bone marrow biopsy showed a high number of blasts, which affirmed the progression of the previously known myelodysplastic syndrome. The lymph nodes were not biopsied due to very low life expectancy, making the procedure futile. A presumptive diagnosis of uveo-meningitis caused by paraneoplastic syndrome was made. The patient died a few months later. LEARNING POINTS: Uveo-meningeal syndrome (UMS) is a rare entity usually of infectious or inflammatory aetiology.UMS may be caused by some neoplastic disorders, mainly lymphoma and metastasis of solid tumours; myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS) has not been previously implicated.Diagnosis should include lumbar puncture and a thorough search for the aetiology; treatment is directed towards the aetiology.

Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension Associated With Primary Sjögren's Syndrome: An Unusual Association.

Pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) is an increasingly recognised clinical entity that is associated with connective tissue disease (CTD) in up to one quarter of all diagnoses. Sjögren's syndrome (SS) is a chronic autoimmune disease characterised by ocular and oral dryness resulting from lacrimal and salivary gland dysfunction. Additionally, SS may involve virtually any organ system and, as a result, the disease is characterised by pleomorphic clinical manifestations. However, SS-PAH reports are scarce, and the area remains insufficiently studied. We present a case of a 75-year-old female with a new diagnosis of PAH and SS. LEARNING POINTS: SS is a chronic autoimmune disease that may involve virtually any organ system, representing a rare cause of PAH.The exclusion of SS as a possible diagnosis is needed before a diagnosis of idiopathic PAH can be made.Routine screening of PAH is recommended in SS patients and future studies should clarify the optimal management of these patients, including immunosuppressive therapy.