Bilateral renal artery revascularisation in heart failure.

Renal artery stenosis can complicate the management of heart failure with reduced ejection fraction, as it is a conventional contraindication to the use of ACE inhibitors. We report a case in which bilateral renal artery revascularisation allowed the safe reintroduction of enalapril (and subsequently sacubitril valsartan) in a patient with severe left ventricular systolic dysfunction. There is a role for renal artery angioplasty in selected patients to allow optimal medical therapy for patients with heart failure due to impaired systolic function.

Prevalence and Prognostic Significance of Malnutrition Using 3 Scoring Systems Among Outpatients With Heart Failure: A Comparison With Body Mass Index.

OBJECTIVES: The authors sought to report the prevalence, clinical associations, and prognostic consequences of malnutrition in outpatients with heart failure (HF). BACKGROUND: Malnutrition may be common in HF and associated with adverse outcomes, but few data exist. METHODS: We applied the geriatric nutritional risk index (GNRI), controlling nutritional status (CONUT) score, and prognostic nutritional index (PNI) to consecutive patients referred with suspected HF to a clinic serving a local population (n = 550,000). RESULTS: Of 4,021 patients enrolled, HF was confirmed in 3,386 (61% men; median age: 75 years; interquartile range [IQR]: 67 to 81 years, median N-terminal pro-B-type natriuretic peptide [NT-proBNP]: 1,103 ng/l [IQR: 415 to 2,631 ng/l]). Left ventricular ejection fraction was <40% in 35% of patients. Using scores for GNRI ≤91, CONUT >4, and PNI ≤38, 6.7%, 10.0%, and 7.5% patients were moderately or severely malnourished, respectively; 57% were at least mildly malnourished by at least 1 score. Worse scores were most strongly related to older age, lower body mass index, worse symptoms and renal function, atrial fibrillation, anemia, and reduced mobility. During a median follow-up of 1,573 days (IQR: 702 to 2,799 days), 1,723 (51%) patients died. For patients who were moderately or severely malnourished, 1-year mortality was 28% for CONUT, 41% for GNRI, and 36% for PNI, compared with 9% for those with mild malnutrition or normal nutritional status. A model including only age, urea, and logNT-proBNP, predicted 1-year survival (C-statistic: 0.719) and was slightly improved by adding nutritional indices (up to 0.724; p < 0.001) but not body mass index. CONCLUSIONS: Malnutrition is common among outpatients with HF and is strongly related to increased mortality.