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Objective: We aimed to analyze trends of 30-day readmission and find high-risk patients associated with increased risk of mortality, resource use, and readmission after primary left ventricular assist device (LVAD) implantation. Limited data exist on the contemporary trends of readmission rates and patients at a higher risk of worse outcomes after LVAD implantation.Methods and Results: This is a retrospective study of adults from the Nationwide Readmission Database who underwent primary durable LVAD implantation from 2010 to 2018. The main outcomes were 30-day readmission rates and their trends in patients with primary durable LVAD implantation from 2010 to 2018. This study also sought to identify patients at the highest risk for readmission, in-hospital mortality, and resource use. A total of 31,002 adults with primary durable LVAD implantation were included in the present analysis. Overall, 3808 patients (12.3%) died and 27,168 (87.6%) were discharged alive. Of those discharged alive, 8303 patients (30.6%) were readmitted within 30 days. The trend of 30-day all-cause readmission among LVAD implantation patients remained similar from 2010 to 2018 (P = .809). The in-hospital mortality rate during the index hospitalization decreased significantly (P = .014), and the mean cost of an index hospitalization increased (P = .031) during the study period. The patients with post-LVAD in-hospital cardiac, vascular, and thromboembolic complications (ie, high-risk patients) had the highest mortality, resource use, and readmission rates compared with patients without major complications.Conclusions: This study found that the readmission rates associated with LVAD implantation did not change from 2010 to 2018 and identified high-risk patients who may benefit from closer monitoring after primary LVAD implantation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The impact of bariatric surgery on discrete cardiovascular events has not been well characterized. To assess the impact of prior bariatric surgery on mortality associated with heart failure (HF) admission. A retrospective analysis of 2007–2014 Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project—Nationwide Inpatient Sample. Participants including 2810 patients with a principal discharge diagnosis of HF who also had a history of prior bariatric surgery were identified. These patients were matched 1:5 with patients who had similar principal diagnoses but no history of bariatric surgery (controls). Propensity scores, balanced on baseline characteristics, were used to assemble 2 control groups. Control group-1 included patients with obesity (body mass index [BMI] ≥35 kg/m2) only. In control group-2, the BMI was considered as one of the matching criteria in propensity matching. Multivariate regression models were utilized to calculate the odds ratio (OR) and 95% confidence interval (CI) of mortality and length of stay (LOS). With well-balanced matching, 33,720 (weighted) patients were included in the analysis. In-hospital mortality rates after HF admission were significantly lower in patients with a history of bariatric surgery compared with control group-1 (0.96% versus 1.86%, OR.52, 95% CI.35–0.77 , P =.0013) and control group-2 (0.96% versus 1.86%, OR.52, 95% CI.35–0.77 , P =.0011). Furthermore, LOS was shorter in the bariatric surgery group compared with control group-1 (4.8 ± 4.4 versus 5.7 ± 5.7 d , P <.001) and control group-2 (4.8 ± 4.4 versus 5.4 ± 6.3 d , P <.001). Our data suggest that prior bariatric surgery is associated with almost 50% reduction in in-hospital mortality and shorter LOS in patients with HF admission. • In this study, we aimed to assess the effect of bariatric surgery on the primary outcome of inpatient mortality after hospital admission for heart failure. • In a propensity-matched comparative study on 33,720 (weighted) patients with a principal discharge diagnosis of heart failure, outcomes in patients with and without history of prior bariatric surgery were compared. • Our data suggest that prior bariatric surgery is associated with an almost 50% reduction in in-hospital mortality and shorter length of stay in patients with heart failure admission. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aims: Heart failure (HF) can be associated with a higher resting heart rate (HR), and an elevated HR is associated with adverse long-term events. However, the mechanistic and causal role of HR in HF is unclear. This study aimed to investigate changes in HR during hospitalization, and the association between discharge HR and clinical outcomes as well as an interaction with beta-blocker therapy in patients with acute decompensated HF (ADHF).Methods and Results: We studied 2906 patients with an LVEF ≤35%, without AF, who were enrolled in the ASCEND-HF trial. A total of 2492 (85.8%) patients had a HR ≥70 b.p.m. at baseline and 1580 (54.4%) patients were on beta-blocker treatment. Although HR was gradually reduced from baseline to discharge (85.5 ± 15.9 b.p.m. at baseline, 81.7 ± 14.1 b.p.m. at 24 h from treatment initiation, and 79.1 ± 12.2 b.p.m. at discharge), 80.2% of the patients still had a HR ≥70 b.p.m. at discharge. Patients with a HR ≥70 b.p.m. at discharge had significantly lower survival rates than those with a HR <70 b.p.m. (adjusted hazard ratio 1.02, 95% confidence interval 1.01-1.04, P = 0.002). Moreover, HR at discharge had a curvilinear association with mortality, and had no significant interaction effect with beta-blocker therapy at discharge (P = 0.82).Conclusions: Despite current beta-blocker therapy, many patients with hospitalized ADHF with reduced LVEF have relatively high discharge HR, and discharge HR is associated with higher mortality. Further studies are warranted to determine the optimal strategy for HR control to improve outcomes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aims: Hyponatraemia is strongly associated with adverse outcomes in heart failure. However, accumulating evidence suggests that chloride may play an important role in renal salt sensing and regulation of neurohormonal and sodium-conserving pathways. Our objective was to determine the prognostic importance of hypochloraemia in patients with heart failure.Methods and Results: Patients in the BEST trial with baseline serum chloride values were evaluated (n = 2699). Hypochloraemia was defined as a serum chloride ≤96 mmol/L and hyponatraemia as serum sodium ≤135 mmol/L. Hypochloraemia was present in 13.0% and hyponatraemia in 13.7% of the population. Chloride and sodium were only modestly correlated (r = 0.53), resulting in only 48.7% of hypochloraemic patients having concurrent hyponatraemia. Both hyponatraemia and hypochloraemia identified a population with greater disease severity; however, renal function tended to be worse and loop diuretic doses higher with hypochloraemia. In univariate analysis, lower serum sodium or serum chloride as continuous parameters were each strongly associated with mortality (P < 0.001). However, when both parameters were included in the same model, serum chloride remained strongly associated with mortality [hazard ratio (HR) 1.3 per standard deviation decrease, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.18-1.42, P < 0.001], whereas sodium was not (HR 0.97 per standard deviation decrease, 95% CI 0.89-1.06, P = 0.52).Conclusion: Serum chloride is strongly and independently associated with worsened survival in patients with chronic heart failure and accounted for the majority of the risk otherwise attributable to hyponatraemia. Given the critical role of chloride in a number of regulatory pathways central to heart failure pathophysiology, additional research is warranted in this area. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aims Loop diuretics are a cornerstone of heart failure ( HF) treatment, but data regarding diuretic dose adjustments after a HF hospitalization and the association with subsequent outcomes are limited. This study was therefore conducted to determine these factors. Methods and results We analysed data from 6119 patients enrolled in ASCEND-HF, examining the association between loop diuretic use at the time of discharge, compared with admission, and the composite outcome of 30-day HF re-hospitalization or all-cause mortality. The majority of patients, 3921 (64%), were taking a loop diuretic on admission. At discharge, 3411 (56%) patients were prescribed higher doses compared with admission, including 1867 (31%) initiating daily outpatient diuretics; 1912 (31%) had no dose change and 795 (13%) were prescribed lower doses compared with admission. Initiation of an oral loop diuretic at discharge was independently associated with better 30-day outcomes compared with no dose change [adjusted odds ratio ( OR) 0.51, 95% confidence interval ( CI) 0.37-0.68]. However, for patients that were already established on a loop diuretic prior to admission, change in the dose at discharge was not associated with improved outcomes compared with no dose change (adjusted OR 0.92, 95% CI 0.79-1.07). Conclusions In a large multinational clinical trial, 56% of patients hospitalized with HF were either initiated on a daily loop diuretic at discharge or discharged on higher doses compared with admission. In patients established on diuretics prior to hospitalization, we found no association between changes to chronic doses at discharge and improved outcomes, whereas initiation of loop diuretic therapy was associated with better outcomes compared with no dose change. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background/Aims: Dialysis patients are at a higher risk for cardiovascular implantable electronic device (CIED) infection-related hospitalizations. We compared the outcomes and cost for dialysis and non-dialysis patients hospitalized with CIED infections. Methods: We conducted a retrospective analysis of the Nationwide Inpatient Sample (NIS) discharge records from 2005 to 2010. Patients with CIED infections were identified using ICD-9 codes for device-related infections or device procedure along with bacteremia, endocarditis or systemic infection. Dialysis patients were identified using ICD-9 codes. Multivariable logistic and linear regressions were performed to examine in-hospital mortality, length of stay and cost. Results: Of the 87,798 estimated hospitalizations with CIED infections, 6,665 (7.6%) were dialysis patients. CIED-infection-related hospitalization has increased over time among dialysis patients. In-hospital mortality was higher among dialysis patients (13.6% vs. 5.9%, p < 0.001). In the multivariable model, dialysis patients had higher odds of in-hospital mortality (odds ratio 1.98; 95% CI: 1.6, 2.4) compared to the non-dialysis group. Dialysis patients had a longer median length of stay (12 days vs. 7 days, p < 0.001) and majority required extended care facility upon discharge (51.2% vs. 35.0%, p < 0.001) compared to the non-dialysis group. Dialysis status was associated with 50.3% increased cost of hospitalization (p < 0.001). Conclusion: CIED-infection related hospitalization is increasing among patients undergoing dialysis and is associated with higher in-hospital mortality, longer hospital stay and higher costs of hospitalization. Future studies should examine the reasons for such a high risk and find means to improve outcomes in dialysis population. © 2014 S. Karger AG, Basel [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Prediction Rule to Identify Patients at High Risk for Early Demise Following CRT Background In patients with advanced heart failure, the decision of whether to pursue cardiac resynchronization therapy (CRT) or to proceed directly to advanced heart failure therapies can be challenging. We sought to create a prediction rule to identify patients with advanced systolic heart failure at heightened risk of rapid deterioration despite receiving CRT. Methods Clinical data were collected on consecutive patients with advanced heart failure presenting for a new CRT device at the Cleveland Clinic between February 12, 2002 and July 8, 2008. Early demise was defined as death, left ventricular assist device, or heart transplant within 6 months following CRT implant. Using a multivariate model, variables associated with early demise were identified and a prediction rule created. Results A total of 879 patients were included of whom 47 met criteria for early demise. Using forward stepwise regression followed by a bootstrapping analysis, the final model included: left ventricular end-diastolic diameter ≥6.5 cm (OR 3.23 [1.72-6.06 g], P < 0.001), the presence of a non-left bundle branch block (non-LBBB) morphology (OR 2.18 [1.18-4.04, P = 0.013]), creatinine ≥1.5 mg/dL (OR 2.98 [1.52-5.49], P < 0.001), and lack of or intolerance to β-blocker use (OR 2.80 [1.46-5.39], P = 0.002). The specificity for ≥2 and ≥3 risk factors was 72.6% and 94.6%, respectively. Conclusions Left ventricular dilatation, the presence of a non-LBBB morphology, renal dysfunction, and lack of or intolerance to β-blockers are associated with early demise following CRT. In patients with at least 3 of these factors, bypassing CRT with early adoption of advanced heart failure therapies may be considered given the high specificity for rapid decline. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Background: Digitalis glycosides are known to improve the hemodynamic and neurohormonal perturbations that contribute to heart failure (HF)–induced renal dysfunction (RD). The objective of this study was to determine if randomization to digoxin is associated with improvement in renal function (IRF) and to evaluate if patients with digoxin-induced IRF have improved clinical outcomes. Methods and Results: Patients in the Digitalis Investigation Group (DIG) dataset with protocol-driven 1-year serum creatinine levels (performed in a central laboratory; n = 980) were studied. IRF was defined as a postrandomization ≥20% increase in estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR). IRF occurred in 15.5% of the population (mean improvement in eGFR 34.5 ± 15.4%) and was more common in patients randomized to digoxin (adjusted odds ratio 1.6; P = .02). In patients without IRF, digoxin was not associated with reduced death or hospitalization (adjusted hazard ratio [HR] 0.96, 95% CI 0.8–1.2; P = .67). However, in the group with IRF, digoxin was associated with substantially improved hospitalization-free survival (adjusted HR 0.49, 95% CI 0.3–0.8; P = .006; P interaction = .026). Conclusions: In this subset of the DIG trial, digoxin was associated with long-term improvement in kidney function and, in patients demonstrating this favorable renal response, reduction in death or hospitalization. Additional research is necessary to confirm these hypothesis-generating findings. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Objectives: We sought to assess the diagnostic accuracy and incremental prognostic value of delayed hyper-enhancement cardiac magnetic resonance (DHE-CMR) compared with electrocardiographic and transthoracic echocardiographic (TTE) parameters in such patients. Background: Utility of DHE-CMR in the diagnosis of patients with suspected cardiac amyloidosis (CA) has recently been demonstrated, but its incremental prognostic utility is unclear. Methods: Forty-seven consecutive patients (mean age 63 years, 70% men, 55% New York Heart Association functional class >II) with suspected CA who underwent electrocardiography (ECG), TTE, DHE-CMR, and biopsy (38 endomyocardial, 9 extracardiac) were studied. Low voltage on ECG was defined as S-wave in lead V1 + R-wave in lead V5 or V6 <15 mm. TTE parameters, including deceleration time, E/E′ ratio, and diastolic grade were recorded. CMR was considered positive with diffuse DHE of the subendocardium extending to adjacent myocardium. All-cause mortality was ascertained. Results: In the study population, 59% had low voltage on ECG, 30% had abnormal deceleration time ≤150 ms, 38% had E/E′ ratio >15, and 47% had advanced (pseudonormal or restrictive) diastology. The diagnostic accuracy of DHE-CMR in patients undergoing endomyocardial biopsy was as follows: sensitivity 88%, specificity 90%, positive predictive value 88%, and negative predictive value 90%. On multivariable logistic regression testing of the diagnostic ability of various noninvasive imaging parameters, only DHE-CMR was significant (Wald chi-square statistic 9.6, p < 0.01). At 1-year post-biopsy, there were 9 (19%) deaths. On Cox proportional hazards analysis, only positive DHE-CMR was a predictor of 1-year mortality (Wald chi-square statistic 4.91, p = 0.03). Conclusions: A characteristic DHE-CMR pattern is more accurate for diagnosis and is a stronger predictor of 1-year mortality in patients with suspected CA as compared with other noninvasive parameters. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Cardiorenal syndrome encompasses a spectrum of disorders involving both the heart and kidneys in which acute or chronic dysfunction in 1 organ may induce acute or chronic dysfunction in the other organ. It represents the confluence of heart-kidney interactions across several interfaces. These include the hemodynamic cross-talk between the failing heart and the response of the kidneys and vice versa, as well as alterations in neurohormonal markers and inflammatory molecular signatures characteristic of its clinical phenotypes. The mission of this scientific statement is to describe the epidemiology and pathogenesis of cardiorenal syndrome in the context of the continuously evolving nature of its clinicopathological description over the past decade. It also describes diagnostic and therapeutic strategies applicable to cardiorenal syndrome, summarizes cardiac-kidney interactions in special populations such as patients with diabetes mellitus and kidney transplant recipients, and emphasizes the role of palliative care in patients with cardiorenal syndrome. Finally, it outlines the need for a cardiorenal education track that will guide future cardiorenal trials and integrate the clinical and research needs of this important field in the future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background Acute decompensated heart failure (ADHF) can be complicated by electrolyte abnormalities, but the major focus has been concentrated on the clinical significance of serum sodium levels. Objectives This study sought to determine the prognostic significance of serum chloride levels in relation to serum sodium levels in patients with ADHF. Methods We reviewed 1,318 consecutive patients with chronic heart failure admitted for ADHF to the Cleveland Clinic between July 2008 and December 2013. We also validated our findings in an independent ADHF cohort from the University of Pennsylvania (n = 876). Results Admission serum chloride levels during hospitalization for ADHF were independently and inversely associated with long-term mortality (hazard ratio [HR] per unit change: 0.94; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.92 to 0.95; p < 0.001). After multivariable risk adjustment, admission chloride levels remained independently associated with mortality (HR per unit change: 0.93; 95% CI: 0.90 to 0.97; p < 0.001) in contrast to admission sodium levels, which were no longer significant (p > 0.05). Results were similar in the validation cohort in unadjusted (HR per unit change for mortality risk within 1 year: 0.93; 95% CI: 0.91 to 0.95; p < 0.001) and multivariable risk-adjusted analysis (HR per unit change for mortality risk within 1 year: 0.95; 95% CI: 0.92 to 0.99; p = 0.01). Conclusions These observations in a contemporary advanced ADHF cohort suggest that serum chloride levels at admission are independently and inversely associated with mortality. The prognostic value of serum sodium in ADHF was diminished compared with chloride. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: This study sought to determine if the timing of hemoconcentration influences associated survival. Background: Indicating a reduction in intravascular volume, hemoconcentration during the treatment of decompensated heart failure has been associated with reduced mortality. However, it is unclear if this survival advantage stems from the improved intravascular volume or if healthier patients are simply more responsive to diuretics. Rapid diuresis early in the hospitalization should similarly identify diuretic responsiveness, but hemoconcentration this early would not indicate euvolemia if extravascular fluid has not yet equilibrated. Methods: Consecutive admissions at a single center with a primary discharge diagnosis of heart failure were reviewed (N = 845). Hemoconcentration was defined as an increase in both hemoglobin and hematocrit levels, then further dichotomized into early or late hemoconcentration by using the midway point of the hospitalization. Results: Hemoconcentration occurred in 422 (49.9%) patients (41.5% early and 58.5% late). Patients with late versus early hemoconcentration had similar baseline characteristics, cumulative in-hospital loop diuretic administered, and worsening of renal function. However, patients with late hemoconcentration versus early hemoconcentration had higher average daily loop diuretic doses (p = 0.001), greater weight loss (p < 0.001), later transition to oral diuretics (p = 0.03), and shorter length of stay (p < 0.001). Late hemoconcentration conferred a significant survival advantage (hazard ratio: 0.74 [95% confidence interval: 0.59 to 0.93]; p = 0.009), whereas early hemoconcentration offered no significant mortality benefit (hazard ratio: 1.0 [95% confidence interval: 0.80 to 1.3]; p = 0.93) over no hemoconcentration. Conclusions: Only hemoconcentration occurring late in the hospitalization was associated with improved survival. These results provide further support for the importance of achieving sustained decongestion during treatment of decompensated heart failure. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]