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The authors sought to elucidate the prognostic value of cardiac sympathetic nerve dysfunction as evaluated using iodine-123-labeled metaiodobenzylguanidine (123I-MIBG) single-photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) imaging in patients with heart failure (HF) with preserved left ventricular ejection fraction (HFpEF). Cardiac sympathetic nerve dysfunction assessed by 123I-MIBG imaging is associated with poor outcomes in chronic HF patients with reduced left ventricular ejection fraction (HFrEF). However, no information is available on the prognostic vale of cardiac 123I-MIBG SPECT imaging in patients with HFpEF. We studied 148 patients admitted for acute decompensated HF (ADHF) with nonischemic HFpEF and who underwent cardiac 123I-MIBG imaging at discharge. The cardiac 123I-MIBG heart-to-mediastinum ratio (H/M) was measured on the delayed planar image (late H/M). SPECT analysis of the delayed image was conducted, and the tracer uptake in all 17 regions on the polar map was scored on a 5-point scale by comparison with a sex-matched normal control database. The total defect score (TDS) was calculated by summing the score of each of the 17 segments. The primary endpoint was the association between TDS and cardiac events (the composite of emergent HF hospitalization and cardiac death). During a mean follow-up period of 2.4 ± 1.6 years, 61 patients experienced cardiac events. TDS was significantly associated with cardiac events after multivariate Cox adjustment (P < 0.0001). Patients with high TDS levels had a significantly greater risk of cardiac events than those with middle or low TDS levels (63% vs 40% vs 20%, respectively; P < 0.0001; HR: 4.69; 95% CI: 2.29 to 9.61; and HR: 2.46; 95% CI: 1.14 to 5.29). C-statistic of TDS was 0.730 (95% CI: 0.651 to 0.799), which was significantly higher than that of late H/M (0.607; 95% CI: 0.524 to 0.686; P = 0.0228). Cardiac 123I-MIBG SPECT imaging provided useful prognostic information in nonischemic ADHF patients with HFpEF. (Clinical Trial: Osaka Prefectural Acute Heart Failure Syndrome Registry [OPAR]: UMIN000015246) [Display omitted] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aims: Cardiohepatic interactions have been a focus of attention in heart failure (HF). The model for end‐stage liver disease excluding international normalized ratio (MELD‐XI) score has been shown to be useful for predicting poor outcomes in patients with acute decompensated HF (ADHF). Furthermore, the fibrosis‐4 (FIB‐4) index, a simple marker to assess liver fibrosis, predicts adverse prognoses in patients with HF as well. However, there is little information available on the prognostic significance of the combination of the MELD‐XI score and FIB‐4 index in patients with ADHF and its association with left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) subgroup. Methods and results: We prospectively studied 466 consecutive patients who were admitted for ADHF [HF with reduced LVEF (LVEF < 40%): n = 164, HF with mid‐range LVEF (40% ≤ LVEF < 50%): n = 104, and HF with preserved LVEF (LVEF ≥ 50%): n = 198]. We calculated the MELD‐XI score and FIB‐4 indices at discharge. The primary endpoint was all‐cause death (ACD). During the mean follow‐up period of 2.8 years, 143 patients had ACD. In the multivariate Cox analysis, the MELD‐XI score and FIB‐4 index were independently associated with ACD. Patients were stratified into the following three groups according to the median value of MELD‐XI score (=11) and FIB‐4 index (=2.13): Group 1 had both a low MELD‐XI score and a low FIB‐4 index; Group 2 had either a high MELD‐XI score (MELD‐XI score ≥11) or a high FIB‐4 index (FIB‐4 index ≥2.13); and Group 3 had both a high MELD‐XI score and a high FIB‐4 index. Kaplan–Meier analysis revealed that Group 2 and Group 3 had a significantly greater risk of ACD than Group 1 [Group 2 vs. Group 1: adjusted hazard ratio, 2.48 (95% confidence interval: 1.75–3.53), P < 0.0001; Group 3 vs. Group 1: adjusted hazard ratio, 7.03 (95% confidence interval: 3.95–13.7), P < 0.0001]. In addition, the patients with both a higher MELD‐XI score and FIB‐4 index showed a significantly higher risk of ACD also in the patients with HF with reduced LVEF, HF with mid‐range LVEF, and HF with preserved LVEF (all P < 0.0001). Conclusions: The combination of MELD‐XI score and FIB‐4 index may be useful for stratifying patients at risk for ACD in patients with ADHF, irrespective of LVEF. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aims Cardiac 123I-metaiodobenzylguanidine (123I-MIBG) imaging provides prognostic information in patients with chronic heart failure (HF). However, there is little information available on the prognostic role of cardiac 123I-MIBG imaging in patients admitted for acute decompensated heart failure (ADHF), especially relating to reduced ejection fraction [HFrEF; left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) < 40%], mid-range ejection fraction (HFmrEF; 40% ≤ LVEF < 50%) and preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF; LVEF ≥ 50%). Methods and results We studied 349 patients admitted for ADHF and discharged with survival. Cardiac 123I-MIBG imaging, echocardiography, and venous blood sampling were performed just before discharge. The cardiac 123I-MIBG heart-to-mediastinum ratio (late H/M) was measured on the chest anterior view images obtained at 200 min after the isotope injection. The endpoint was cardiac events defined as unplanned HF hospitalization and cardiac death. During a follow-up period of 2.1 ± 1.4 years, 128 patients had cardiac events (45/127 in HFrEF, 28/78 in HFmrEF, and 55/144 in HFpEF). On multivariable Cox analysis, late H/M was significantly associated with cardiac events in overall cohort (P = 0.0038), and in subgroup analysis of each LVEF subgroup (P = 0.0235 in HFrEF, P = 0.0119 in HFmEF and P = 0.0311 in HFpEF). Kaplan–Meier analysis showed that patients with low late H/M (defined by median) had significantly greater risk of cardiac events in overall cohort (49% vs. 25% P < 0.0001) and in each LVEF subgroup (HFrEF: 48% vs. 23% P = 0.0061, HFmrEF: 51% vs. 21% P = 0.0068 and HFpEF: 50% vs. 26% P = 0.0026). Conclusion Cardiac sympathetic nerve dysfunction was associated with poor outcome in ADHF patients irrespective of HFrEF, HFmrEF, or HFpEF. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aims: Acute decompensated heart failure (ADHF) is generally treated by decongestion using diuretic therapy. However, the use of loop diuretics is associated with increased cardiac sympathetic nerve activity (CSNA). We aimed to evaluate the effect of adjunctive tolvaptan therapy on CSNA in ADHF patients with preserved left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF). Methods and results: We enrolled 51 consecutive ADHF patients with LVEF ≥45%. Patients were randomly assigned to receive either tolvaptan add‐on (n = 25) or conventional diuretic therapy (n = 26). Cardiac iodine‐123 metaiodobenzylguanidine (MIBG) imaging was performed after stabilisation of heart failure symptoms, and the cardiac MIBG heart‐to‐mediastinum ratio (HMR) and washout rate (WR) were calculated. There were no significant differences in the body weight change and total urine volume during 2 days after randomisation or in the HMR on delayed image (HMR(d)) and WR between the tolvaptan and conventional groups. After stratification based on the median change in body weight, the patients with higher weight reduction had a significantly lower HMR(d) (P = 0.0128) and tended to have a higher WR (P = 0.0786) in the conventional group, whereas the cardiac MIBG imaging results were not influenced by body weight reduction in the tolvaptan group. Conclusions: Adjunctive tolvaptan therapy may provide rapid decongestion without a harmful effect on CSNA in ADHF patients with preserved LVEF. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background Nutritional status is associated with poor outcomes in patients with heart failure. Serum cholinesterase (CHE) concentration, a marker of malnutrition, was reported to be a prognostic factor in patients with chronic heart failure. The geriatric nutritional risk index (GNRI), the controlling nutritional status (CONUT) score, and the prognostic nutritional index (PNI) are established objective nutritional indices. Objective The aim of this study was to clarify the prognostic significance of CHE concentration and to compare it with other well-established objective nutritional indices in patients with acute decompensated heart failure (ADHF). Methods We prospectively enrolled 371 consecutive patients admitted for ADHF with survival discharge. Laboratory data including CHE and the objective nutritional indices were obtained at discharge. The primary endpoint of this study was all-cause mortality. Results During a mean ± SD follow-up period of 2.5 ± 1.4 y, 112 patients died. CHE concentration was significantly associated with all-cause mortality independently of GNRI, CONUT score, or PNI, after adjustment for major confounders including other nutritional indices, such as age, sex, systolic blood pressure, BMI, left ventricular ejection fraction, history of hypertension, diabetes mellitus, dyslipidemia, prior heart failure hospitalization, angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitor or angiotensin receptor blocker use, β-blocker use, statin use, hemoglobin, sodium, blood urea nitrogen, albumin, C-reactive protein, and brain natriuretic peptide concentrations via multivariable Cox analysis. Kaplan–Meier analysis revealed that the risk of all-cause mortality significantly increased in accordance with CHE stratum [lowest tertile: 53%, adjusted HR: 6.92; 95% CI: 3.87, 12.36, compared with middle tertile: 28%, adjusted HR: 2.72; 95% CI: 1.45, 5.11, compared with highest tertile: 11%, adjusted HR: 1.0 (reference), P  < 0.0001]. CHE showed the best area under the curve value (0.745) for the prediction of all-cause mortality compared with the other objective nutritional indices. Net reclassification improvement afforded by adding CHE to the fully adjusted multivariable model was statistically significant for all-cause mortality (0.330; 95% CI: 0.112, 0.549, P  = 0.0030). Conclusion CHE is a simple, strong prognostic marker for the prediction of all-cause mortality in patients with ADHF. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]