Cancer history and physical function in patients with cardiovascular disease.

Both cancer and cardiovascular disease (CVD) cause skeletal muscle mass loss, thereby increasing the likelihood of a poor prognosis. We investigated the association between cancer history and physical function and their combined association with prognosis in patients with CVD. We retrospectively reviewed 3,796 patients with CVD (median age: 70 years; interquartile range [IQR]: 61-77 years) who had undergone physical function tests (gait speed and 6-minute walk distance [6MWD]) at discharge. We performed multiple linear regression analyses to assess potential associations between cancer history and physical function. Moreover, Kaplan-Meier curves and Cox regression analyses were used to evaluate prognostic associations in four groups of patients categorized by the absence or presence of cancer history and of high or low physical function. Multiple regression analyses showed that cancer history was significantly and independently associated with a lower gait speed and 6MWD performance. A total of 610 deaths occurred during the follow-up period (median: 3.1 years; IQR: 1.4-5.4 years). The coexistence of low physical function and cancer history in patients with CVD was associated with a significantly higher mortality risk, even after adjusting for covariates (cancer history/low gait speed, hazard ratio [HR]: 1.93, P < 0.001; and cancer history/low 6MWD, HR: 1.61, P = 0.002). Cancer history is associated with low physical function in patients with CVD, and the combination of both factors is associated with a poor prognosis.

Predictive value of cholinesterase in patients with heart failure: A new blood biochemical marker of undernutrition.

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: This study was conducted to verify whether serum cholinesterase (ChE) is useful in predicting prognosis and discriminating undernutrition status compared to existing low-nutrition indices of blood chemical tests in patients with heart failure (HF). METHODS AND RESULTS: A total of 1617 patients (1204 older patients) with HF who evaluated ChE during hospitalization were recruited for this study. The primary outcome was all-cause death, and multivariate survival analysis was performed. We drew a receiver operating characteristic curve for all-cause death, some undernutrition status, such as low body mass index, thin mid-upper arm circumference, low grip strength, and slow gait speed. The area under the curve was used to compare the predictive ability of ChE with some existing nutritional parameters, such as blood biochemical tests, controlling nutritional status (CONUT), and the geriatric nutritional risk index (GNRI). After adjusting for 29 variables, higher ChE significantly decreased the risk of all-cause death (per 10 increase, hazard ratio: 0.975, 95% confidence interval: 0.952-0.998), and this trend was maintained for older patients (per 10 increase, hazard ratio: 0.972, 95% confidence interval: 0.947-0.997). ChE was moderately correlated with CONUT and GNRI, but the predictive ability for all-cause death was higher for ChE relative to both scores. ChE tended to have an almost consistently high predictive ability compared with other blood biochemical tests. CONCLUSIONS: ChE was associated with all-cause death and an almost consistently higher predictive ability for all-cause death and undernutrition status in comparison to existing blood chemical tests and nutritional scores.

Relationship between the spread of COVID-19, social frailty, and depressive symptoms in patients with heart failure.

In community-dwelling older people, coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has been reported to be associated with the development of frailty and depressive symptoms. We aimed to investigate whether the spread of COVID-19 is associated with the development of frailty in patients with heart failure (HF). The presence of the multi-domain of frailty in 257 patients with HF was assessed at hospital discharge. The spread of COVID-19 was significantly associated with the development of social frailty and depressive symptoms. Evaluation of these symptoms during hospitalization would support disease management and understanding of their social and psychological conditions.

Effects of Acute Phase Intensive Physical Activity (ACTIVE-PA) Monitoring and Education for Cardiac Patients: Pilot Study of a Randomized Controlled Trial.

BACKGROUND: Although physical activity (PA) decreases dramatically during hospitalization, an effective intervention method has not yet been established for this issue. We recently developed a multiperson PA monitoring system using information and communication technology (ICT) that can provide appropriate management and feedback about PA at the bedside or during rehabilitation. This ICT-based PA monitoring system can store accelerometer data on a tablet device within a few seconds and automatically display a graphical representation of activity trends during hospitalization. OBJECTIVE: This randomized pilot study aims to estimate the feasibility and effect size of an educational PA intervention using our ICT monitoring system for in-hospital patients undergoing cardiac rehabilitation. METHODS: A total of 41 patients (median age 70 years; 24 men) undergoing inpatient cardiac rehabilitation were randomly assigned to 2 groups as follows: wearing an accelerometer only (control) and using both an accelerometer and an ICT-based PA monitoring system. Patients assigned to the ICT group were instructed to gradually increase their step counts according to their conditions. Adherence to wearing the accelerometer was defined as having enough wear records for at least 2 days to allow for adequate analysis during the lending period. An analysis of covariance was performed to compare the change in average step count during hospitalization as a primary outcome and the 6-minute walking distance at discharge. RESULTS: The median duration of wearing the accelerometer was 4 days in the ICT group and 6 days in the control group. Adherence was 100% (n=22) in the ICT group but 83% (n=20) in the control group. The ICT group was more active (mean difference=1370 steps, 95% CI 437-2303) and had longer 6-minute walking distances (mean difference=81.6 m, 95% CI 18.1-145.2) than the control group. CONCLUSIONS: Through this study, the possibility of introducing a multiperson PA monitoring system in a hospital and promoting PA during hospitalization was demonstrated. These findings support the rationale and feasibility of a future clinical trial to test the efficacy of this educational intervention in improving the PA and physical function of in-hospital patients. TRIAL REGISTRATION: University Hospital Medical Information Network UMIN000043312; http://tinyurl.com/m2bw8vkz.

Trends and Outcomes of Early Rehabilitation in the Intensive Care Unit for Patients With Cardiovascular Disease: A Cohort Study With Propensity Score-Matched Analysis.

BACKGROUND: The effectiveness of acute-phase cardiovascular rehabilitation (CR) in intensive care settings remains unclear in patients with cardiovascular disease (CVD). This study aimed to investigate the trends and outcomes of acute-phase CR in the intensive care unit (ICU) for patients with CVD, including in-hospital and long-term clinical outcomes. METHOD: This retrospective cohort study reviewed a total of 1,948 consecutive patients who were admitted to a tertiary academic ICU for CVD treatment and underwent CR during hospitalisation. The endpoints of this study were the following: in-hospital outcomes: probabilities of walking independence and returning home; and long-term outcomes: clinical events 5 years following hospital discharge, including all-cause readmission or cardiovascular events. It evaluated the associations of CR implementation during ICU treatment (ICU-CR) with in-hospital and long-term outcomes using propensity score-matched analysis. RESULTS: Among the participants, 1,092 received ICU-CR, the rate of which tended to increase with year trend (p for trend <0.001). After propensity score matching, 758 patients were included for analysis (pairs of n=379 ICU-CR and non-ICU-CR). ICU-CR was significantly associated with higher probabilities of walking independence (rate ratio, 2.04; 95% CI 1.77-2.36) and returning home (rate ratio, 1.22; 95% CI 1.05-1.41). These associations were consistently observed in subgroups aged >65 years, after surgery, emergency, and prolonged ICU stay. ICU-CR showed significantly lower incidences of all-cause (HR 0.71; 95% CI 0.56-0.89) and cardiovascular events (HR 0.69; 95% CI 0.50-0.95) than non-ICU-CR. CONCLUSIONS: The implementation of acute-phase CR in ICU increased with year trend, and is considered beneficial to improving in-hospital and long-term outcomes in patients with CVD and various subgroups.

Sex differences in the prevalence and prognostic impact of physical frailty and sarcopenia among older patients with heart failure.

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: Frailty and sarcopenia are common and confer poor prognosis in elderly patients with heart failure; however, gender differences in its prevalence or prognostic impact remain unclear. METHODS AND RESULTS: We included 1332 patients aged ≥65 years, who were hospitalized for heart failure. Frailty and sarcopenia were defined using the Fried phenotype model and Asian Working Group for Sarcopenia criteria, respectively. Gender differences in frailty and sarcopenia, and interactions between sex and prognostic impact of frailty/sarcopenia on 1-year mortality were evaluated. Overall, 53.9% men and 61.0% women and 23.7% men and 14.0% women had frailty and sarcopenia, respectively. Although sarcopenia was more prevalent in men, no gender differences existed in frailty after adjusting for age. On Kaplan-Meier analysis, frailty and sarcopenia were significantly associated with 1-year mortality in both sexes. On Cox proportional hazard analysis, frailty was associated with 1-year mortality only in men, after adjusting for confounding factors (hazard ratio [HR], 1.94; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.19-3.16; P = 0.008 for men; HR, 1.63; 95% CI, 0.84-3.13; P = 0.147 for women); sarcopenia was an independent prognostic factor in both sexes (HR, 1.93; 95% CI, 1.13-3.31; P = 0.017 for men; HR, 3.18; 95% CI, 1.59-5.64; P = 0.001 for women). There were no interactions between sex and prognostic impact of frailty/sarcopenia (P = 0.806 for frailty; P = 0.254 for sarcopenia). CONCLUSIONS: Frailty and sarcopenia negatively affect older patients with heart failure from both sexes. CLINICAL TRIALS: This study was registered at the University Hospital Information Network (UMIN-CTR, unique identifier: UMIN000023929) before the first patient was enrolled.

Sarcopenic obesity is associated with impaired physical function and mortality in older patients with heart failure: insight from FRAGILE-HF.

BACKGROUND: The purpose of this study was to clarify the prevalence, association with frailty and exercise capacity, and prognostic implication of sarcopenic obesity in patients with heart failure. METHODS: The present study included 779 older adults hospitalized with heart failure (median age: 81 years; 57.4% men). Sarcopenia was diagnosed based on the guidelines by the Asian Working Group for Sarcopenia. Obesity was defined as the percentage of body fat mass (FM) obtained by bioelectrical impedance analysis. The FM cut-off points for obesity were 38% for women and 27% for men. The primary endpoint was 1-year all-cause death. We assessed the associations of sarcopenic obesity occurrence with the short physical performance battery (SPPB) score and 6-minute walk distance (6MWD). RESULTS: The rates of sarcopenia and obesity were 19.3 and 26.2%, respectively. The patients were classified into the following groups: non-sarcopenia/non-obesity (58.5%), non-sarcopenia/obesity (22.2%), sarcopenia/non-obesity (15.3%), and sarcopenia/obesity (4.0%). The sarcopenia/obesity group had a lower SPPB score and shorter 6MWD, which was independent of age and sex (coefficient, - 0.120; t-value, - 3.74; P < 0.001 and coefficient, - 77.42; t-value, - 3.61; P < 0.001; respectively). Ninety-six patients died during the 1-year follow-up period. In a Cox proportional hazard analysis, sarcopenia and obesity together were an independent prognostic factor even after adjusting for a coexisting prognostic factor (non-sarcopenia/non-obesity vs. sarcopenia/obesity: hazard ratio, 2.48; 95% confidence interval, 1.22-5.04; P = 0.012). CONCLUSION: Sarcopenic obesity is a risk factor for all-cause death and low physical function in older adults with heart failure. TRIAL REGISTRATION: University Hospital Information Network (UMIN-CTR: UMIN000023929 ).

Low skeletal muscle density combined with muscle dysfunction predicts adverse events after adult cardiovascular surgery.

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: Although muscle dysfunctions are widely known as a poor prognostic factor in patients with cardiovascular disease, no study has examined whether the addition of low skeletal muscle density (SMD) assessed by computed tomography (CT) to muscle dysfunctions is useful. This study examined whether SMDs can strengthen the predictive ability of muscle dysfunctions for adverse events in patients who underwent cardiovascular surgery. METHODS AND RESULTS: We retrospectively reviewed 853 patients aged ≥40 years who had preoperative CT for risk management purposes and who measured muscle dysfunctions (weakness: low grip strength and slowness: slow gait speed). Low SMD based on transverse abdominal CT images was defined as a mean Hounsfield unit of the psoas muscle <45. All definitions of muscle dysfunction (weakness only, slowness only, weakness or slowness, weakness and slowness), the addition of SMDs was shown to significantly improve the continuous net reclassification improvement and integrated discrimination improvement for adverse events in all analyses (p < 0.05). Low SMDs combined with each definition of muscle dysfunction had the highest risk of all-cause death (hazard ratio: lowest 3.666 to highest 6.002), and patients with neither low SMDs nor muscle dysfunction had the lowest risk of all-cause and cardiovascular-related events. CONCLUSION: The addition of SMDs consistently increased the predictive ability of muscle dysfunctions for adverse events. Our results suggest that when CT is performed for any clinical investigation, the addition of the organic assessment of skeletal muscle can strengthen the diagnostic accuracy of muscle wasting.

Glucose-dependent diuresis in relation to improvements in renal-tubular markers of sodium-glucose cotransporter-2 inhibitors in hospitalized heart failure patients with diabetes.

Clinical parameters with correlation to diuretic effects after initiation of sodium-glucose cotransporter-2 (SGLT2) inhibitors are unclear. We aimed to identify the factors associated with the diuretic effect observed following the initiation of SGLT2 inhibitors in patients with diabetes having an acute heart failure (HF). Fifty-six patients included were hospitalized for acute HF with diabetes and started on SGLT2 inhibitors. Changes in urine volume (ΔUV) and blood/urine laboratory parameters before and during the first 4 days of therapy were evaluated. Data were prospectively obtained under clinically stable conditions after initial HF treatment. UV increased following the initiation of SGLT2 inhibitors [UV at baseline (BL): 1383 ± 479 mL/day; ΔUV over 4 days: + 189 ± 358 mL/day]. Multivariate analysis revealed no association between BL-hemoglobin A1c or BL-estimated glomerular filtration rate and ΔUV. Conversely, higher BL-fasting plasma glucose (FPG) and higher BL-urine N-acetyl-ß-D-glucosaminidase (NAG) were associated with a higher ΔUV. ΔUV was inversely associated with ΔFPG and ΔNAG, and positively associated with Δurinary sodium excretion. Elevated FPG and NAG both improved over 4 days of treatment. In conclusion, the diuretic effect of SGLT2 inhibitors was glycemia-dependent, and was associated with a reduction in elevated renal-tubular markers in hospitalized HF complicated with diabetes.

Six-Minute Walk Test Predicts Postoperative Delirium After Transcatheter Aortic Valve Replacement.

OBJECTIVE: This study investigated the incidence and risk factors of postoperative delirium (POD) after transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) and to evaluate the association between preoperative conditions, particularly frailty, and POD. DESIGN: Observational, case-control study. SETTING: Single-center university hospital. PARTICIPANTS: The study comprised 124 patients who underwent TAVR and were divided into the following two groups: group D (patients diagnosed with POD) and group C (patients without POD). INTERVENTIONS: None. MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS: Twenty-seven patients (21.7%) developed POD (95% confidence interval 14.9%-30.1%). POD was defined as a diagnosis of delirium using the Confusion Assessment Method for Intensive Care Unit scale during the patients' intensive care unit stay. Preoperative and postoperative data of patient characteristics were obtained from their medical records. A multivariate logistic regression analysis was performed using variables associated with POD incidence. Frailty scores were significantly higher in group D than in group C. The distance covered in the six-minute walk test (6MD) was significantly shorter in group D than in group C. The risk of developing POD was significantly higher in patients with a 6MD shorter than 220 m. Multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that a shorter 6MD was an independent risk factor for POD (odds ratio 5.66; p = 0.004). CONCLUSION: In the present study, POD was seen in 21.7% of the patients who underwent TAVR. A 6MD shorter than 220 m was an independent preoperative risk factor for POD. For patients at high risk of POD, more careful management in the perioperative period may reduce POD.

Hemodynamic Changes During Neuromuscular Electrical Stimulation and Mobility Therapy for an Advanced Heart Failure Patient with Impella 5.0 Device.

The Impella 5.0 is a catheter-mounted left ventricular assist device that is inserted through the patient's subclavian artery. This device allows patient mobilization. Early mobility improves outcomes, including physical function and exercise tolerance, in critically ill patients and those with heart failure (HF). However, there have been no studies regarding the safety of early mobilization during the period of Impella 5.0 insertion based on hemodynamic assessment.A 39-year-old man with idiopathic dilated cardiomyopathy and cardiogenic shock was transferred to our hospital for Impella 5.0 insertion. We started neuromuscular electrical stimulation (NMES) and mobilization eight days after Impella 5.0 insertion. The safety of NMES and mobilization was assessed based on mean blood pressure, heart rate (HR), and mean pulmonary artery pressure measurements as hemodynamic indicators. Muscle strength was also assessed using the Medical Research Council (MRC) scale. Throughout the interventions, only the HR increased slightly during mobilization, and there were no hemodynamic abnormalities. Also, the MRC scale score improved as mobilization progressed. The results presented here suggest that NMES and mobilization are safe and feasible in patients with Impella 5.0 insertion, and therefore should be widely adopted.

Association between sarcopenia and atherosclerosis in elderly patients with ischemic heart disease.

Compared to the general population, elderly patients with cardiovascular disease have a higher prevalence of sarcopenia, and it shows an association with increased mortality risk. Although several studies have indicated that atherosclerosis may cause sarcopenia in community dwelling elderly subjects, the association between sarcopenia and atherosclerosis is not clear in patients with ischemic heart disease (IHD). The present study was performed to examine the association between muscle function and atherosclerosis in elderly patients with IHD. We reviewed the findings of 321 consecutive patients ≥ 65 years old with IHD. Three measures of muscle function were examined, i.e., gait speed, quadriceps isometric strength, and handgrip strength, just before hospital discharge. In addition, we measured intima-media thickness (IMT) as a parameter of arteriosclerosis. To investigate the association between sarcopenia and atherosclerosis, patients were divided into Group H (high), Group M (middle), and Group L (low) according to the tertiles of muscle function, and IMT was compared between the three groups. In addition, we considered the association between IMT thickening and muscle function. The mean age of the study population was 74.1 ± 6.0 years and 73.2% of the patients were men. IMT was compared between groups stratified according to gait speed and quadriceps isometric strength, and the results indicated that IMT was significantly lower in Group H than in Groups L and M (p < 0.05). In addition, gait speed and quadriceps isometric strength were associated with IMT thickening (p < 0.05). Parameters reflecting muscle function of the lower limbs are associated with atherosclerosis in patients with IHD.

Prognostic value of instrumental activity of daily living in initial heart failure hospitalization patients aged 65 years or older.

Although the Tokyo Metropolitan Institute of Gerontology Index of Competence (TMIG-IC) is useful to assess decline of instrumental activities of daily living (IADL) in Japanese individuals, limited data are available in patients with heart failure (HF). This study was performed to investigate the prognostic value of IADL evaluated by TMIG-IC in initial HF hospitalization patients aged ≥ 65 years. We reviewed 297 elderly HF patients with independent basic ADL before hospitalization. Patients with prior HF were excluded. Five TMIG-IC items were investigated as IADL parameters. Patients with full IADL scores were defined as "independent" and others were defined as "dependent". The endpoint was all-cause mortality, and multivariable analysis was performed to identify IADL risk. The median age was 76 years, and 55% of the patients were male. Forty-one deaths occurred over a median follow-up period of 1.01 years. After adjusting for existing risk factors, including Seattle Heart Failure Score, dependent patients had higher mortality risk than independent patients [hazard ratio 3.64, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.57-8.43], and mortality risk decreased by 16% for each 1-point increase in IADL score (hazard ratio 0.84, 95% CI 0.71-0.99). In conclusion, limited IADL indicated by TMIG-IC was associated with poorer long-term mortality rate in elderly patients with HF. This inexpensive and easily applicable tool will support decision making in cardiac rehabilitation.

Efficacy of Exercise Therapy Initiated in the Early Phase After Kidney Transplantation: A Pilot Study.

OBJECTIVE: In patients with kidney transplant (KT), frailty is a predictor of adverse outcomes. Outcomes of exercise therapy in patients with KT, particularly the efficacy of early exercise after KT, have not been evaluated. We investigated the effect of exercise intervention beginning early after KT on physical performance, physical activity, quality of life, and kidney function in patients with KT. METHODS: KT recipients who underwent surgery with usual care plus exercise training from a prospective cohort (exercise group; n = 10) and those with usual care alone from a historical cohort (control group; n = 14) were included in this study. Early exercise comprised supervised aerobic training and physical activity instruction from day 6 to 2 months after KT. The following outcomes were measured: 6-minute walking distance, isometric knee extensor strength, gait speed, physical activity, quality of life, and estimated glomerular filtration rate. RESULTS: Analyses of covariance, adjusted for baseline values, revealed significant mean differences between exercise and control groups at 2 months after KT in 6-minute walking distance (+44.4 m, P = .03) and isometric knee extensor strength (+8.1%body weight, P = .03). No significant between-group differences were found in gait speed, physical activity, and quality of life. The analysis of variance for comparison of the area under the recovery curves of estimated glomerular filtration rate after KT revealed no significant difference between groups. CONCLUSION: Supervised aerobic training and physical activity instruction initiated in the early phase after KT can improve physical performance without adversely affecting kidney function.

Usefulness of the Simplified Frailty Scale in Predicting Risk of Readmission or Mortality in Elderly Patients Hospitalized with Cardiovascular Disease.

The simplified frailty scale is a simple frailty assessment tool modified from Fried's phenotypic frailty criteria, which is easy to administer in hospitalized patients. The applicability of the simplified frailty scale to indicate prognosis in elderly hospitalized patients with cardiovascular disease (CVD) was examined.This cohort study was performed in 895 admitted patients ≥ 65 years (interquartile range, 71.0-81.0, 541 men) with CVD. Patients were classified as robust, prefrail, or frail based on the five components of the simplified frailty scale: weakness, slowness, exhaustion, low activity, and weight loss. The primary endpoint was the composite outcome of all-cause mortality and unplanned readmission for CVD.Patients positive for greater numbers of frailty components showed higher risk of all-cause mortality or unplanned CVD-related readmission (P for trend < 0.001). Classification as both frail (adjusted HR: 3.27, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.49-7.21, P = 0.003) and prefrail (adjusted HR: 2.19, 95% CI: 1.00-4.79, P = 0.049) independently predicted the composite endpoint compared with robust after adjusting for potential confounding factors. The inclusion of prefrail, frail, and number of components of frailty increased both continuous net reclassification improvement (0.113, P = 0.049; 0.426, P < 0.001; and 0.321, P < 0.001) and integrated discrimination improvement (0.007, P = 0.037; 0.009, P = 0.038; and 0.018, P = 0.002) for the composite endpoint.Higher scores on the simplified frailty scale were associated with increased risk of mortality or readmission in elderly patients hospitalized for CVD.

Pupillary Light Reflex as a New Prognostic Marker in Patients With Heart Failure.

BACKGROUND: Autonomic function can be evaluated based on the pupillary light reflex (PLR). However, the relationship between PLR and prognosis in patients with heart failure (HF) remains unclear. This study was performed to examine whether PLR could be used as a prognostic indicator in patients with HF. METHODS AND RESULTS: A retrospective review was performed in 535 consecutive Japanese patients hospitalized for acute HF (mean age 66.1 ± 13.7 y). PLR was recorded at least 7 days after hospitalization for HF with the use of a pupilometer. Fifty-three patients died over a median follow-up period of 1.3 years (interquartile range 0.6-2.3 y). After adjustment for several preexisting prognostic factors, including Seattle Heart Failure Score (SHFS), PLR as assessed by recovery time (time to 63% redilation) was independently associated with all-cause mortality (hazard ratio 0.50, 95% confidence interval 0.35-0.73; P < .001). The addition of recovery time to SHFS resulted in a significant increase in the area under the curve on receiver-operating characteristic curve analysis (0.69 vs 0.77; P < .001). CONCLUSIONS: PLR assessed by recovery time was an independent predictor of mortality and added prognostic information to the SHFS in patients with HF. Our results suggest that PLR may be useful as a new prognostic marker in HF patients.

Short-Term Change in Gait Speed and Clinical Outcomes in Older Patients With Acute Heart Failure.

BACKGROUND: Evidence for the prognostic value of gait speed is largely based on a single measure at baseline, so we investigated the prognostic significance of change in gait speed in hospitalized older acute heart failure (AHF) patients.Methods and Results:This retrospective study was performed in a cohort of 388 AHF patients ≥60 years old (mean age: 74.8±7.8 years, 228 men). Routine geriatric assessment included gait speed measurement at baseline and at discharge. The primary outcome of this study was all-cause death. Gait speed increased from 0.74±0.25 m/s to 0.98±0.27 m/s after 13.5±11.0 days. Older age, shorter height and lower hemoglobin level at admission, prior HF admission, and higher baseline gait speed were independently associated with lesser improvement in gait speed. A total of 80 patients died and 137 patients were readmitted for HF over a mean follow-up period of 2.1±1.9 years. In multivariate analyses, change in gait speed showed inverse associations with all-cause death (hazard ratio [HR] per 0.1 m/s increase: 0.83; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.73 to 0.95; P=0.006) and with risk of readmission for HF (HR: 0.91; 95% CI: 0.83 to 0.99; P=0.036). CONCLUSIONS: Short-term improvement in gait speed during hospitalization was associated with reduced risks of death and readmission for HF in older patients with AHF.

Respiratory muscle weakness increases dead-space ventilation ratio aggravating ventilation-perfusion mismatch during exercise in patients with chronic heart failure.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: Respiratory muscle weakness causes fatigue in these muscles during exercise and thereby increases dead-space ventilation ratio with decreased tidal volume. However, it remains unclear whether respiratory muscle weakness aggravates ventilation-perfusion mismatch through the increased dead-space ventilation ratio. In ventilation-perfusion mismatch during exercise, minute ventilation versus carbon dioxide production (VE/VCO2 ) slope > 34 is an indicator of poor prognosis in patients with chronic heart failure (CHF). We examined the relationship of respiratory muscle weakness with dead-space ventilation ratio and ventilation-perfusion mismatch during exercise and clarified whether respiratory muscle weakness was a clinical predictor of VE/VCO2 slope > 34 in patients with CHF. METHODS: Maximal inspiratory pressure (PImax ) was measured as respiratory muscle strength 2 months after hospital discharge in 256 compensated patients with CHF. During cardiopulmonary exercise test, we assessed minute dead-space ventilation versus VE (VD/VE ratio) as dead-space ventilation ratio and VE/VCO2 slope as ventilation-perfusion mismatch. Patients were divided into low, moderate and high PImax groups based on the PImax tertile. We investigated determinants of VE/VCO2 slope > 34 among these groups. RESULTS: The low PImax group showed significantly higher VD/VE ratios at 50% of peak workload and at peak workload and higher VE/VCO2 slope than the other two groups (P < 0.001, respectively). PImax was a significant independent determinant of VE/VCO2 slope > 34 (odds ratio (OR): 0.67, 95% CI: 0.54-0.82) with area under the receiver operating characteristic curve of 0.812 (95% CI: 0.750-0.874). CONCLUSION: Respiratory muscle weakness was associated with an increased dead-space ventilation ratio aggravating ventilation-perfusion mismatch during exercise in patients with CHF.

Dilated cardiomyopathy with re-worsening left ventricular ejection fraction.

Re-worsening left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) is observed in some patients with dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM) despite initial improvements in LVEF. We analyzed cardiac outcomes and clinical variables associated with this re-worsening LVEF. A total of 180 newly diagnosed DCM patients who received only pharmacotherapy were enrolled. Echocardiography was performed after 6, 12, 24, and 36 months after initiation of pharmacotherapy. Patients were divided into three groups: (1) Improved: (n = 113, 63%), defined as those > 10% increase in LVEF after 12 months and no decrease (> 10%) between 12 and 36 months; (2) Re-worse: (n = 12, 7%), those with > 10% increase in LVEF after 12 months but with decrease (> 10%) between 12 and 36 months; and (3) Not-improved: (n = 55: 30%), those with no increase in LVEF (> 10%) after 12 months. Patients with re-worse group were older (P = 0.04) and had higher brain natriuretic peptide (BNP) levels after 12 months (P = 0.002) than those in the Improved group. Major cardiac events (sudden death, implantation of a ventricular assist device, and death due to heart failure,) were observed in 13 (7%) patients after 36 months of pharmacotherapy. Multivariate analysis revealed that the Re-worse group had a higher risk for cardiac events (hazard ratio 11.7, 95% confidence interval 1.9-90.7, P = 0.01) than the Improved group, but had a similar risk compared with the Not-improved group. Re-worsening LVEF was associated with poor cardiac outcomes in newly diagnosed DCM patients. Age and persistently high-BNP levels after improvement in LVEF were significantly associated with re-worsening LVEF.

Office-Based Physical Assessment in Patients Aged 75 Years and Older with Cardiovascular Disease.

BACKGROUND: The detection of impaired physical performance in older adults with cardiovascular disease is essential for clinical management and therapeutic decision-making. There is a requirement for an assessment tool that can be used conveniently, rapidly, and securely in clinical practice for screening decreased physical performance. OBJECTIVE: The present study was performed to evaluate the association of office-based physical assessments with decreased physical performance and to compare the prognostic capability of these assessments in older adults with cardiovascular disease. METHODS: A total of 1,040 patients aged 75 years and older with cardiovascular disease were included in this analysis. One-leg standing time (OLST) and handgrip strength were measured as office-based physical assessment tools, and short physical performance battery (SPPB), 6-min walk distance, and usual gait speed were also measured at hospital discharge as measurements of physical performance. All-cause mortality was assessed by death registry at the hospital. We examined the association of office-based measures with physical performance and all-cause mortality. RESULTS: The areas under the curve of OLST for SPPB < 10, 6-min walk distance < 300 m, and usual gait speed < 1.0 m/s were 0.87 (95% CI 0.83-0.91), 0.83 (95% CI 0.80-0.86), and 0.81 (95% CI 0.78-0.85), respectively. The discrimination abilities of OLST for decreased physical performance were significantly higher than those of handgrip strength. After adjusting for the effects of patient characteristics, the hazard ratio for all-cause mortality in the < 3 s group for OLST was 1.68 (95% CI 1.06-2.67, p = 0.03). Handgrip strength, however, was not significantly associated with mortality risk in these participants. CONCLUSION: Short OLST, in particular < 3 s, is associated with decreased physical performance and elevated mortality risk in elderly patients with cardiovascular disease. OLST can be conveniently measured in the clinician's office as a screening tool for impaired physical performance.