Thyroid Disorders and Prognosis in Chronic Heart Failure: A Long-Term Follow-Up Study.

BACKGROUND: Thyroid disorders may have a negative impact on the prognosis of patients affected by chronic heart failure (CHF). OBJECTIVE: The aim of the current study was to evaluate the prognostic role of all thyroid disorders over a long term follow-up in a single centre large sample of CHF outpatients. METHODS: In all patients, the function of the thyroid was evaluated at the enrolment and during the follow- up. On the basis of free triiodothyronine (T3), free thyroxine (fT4) and thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH) serum levels, patients were classified into one of the following four categories: euthyroid subjects, patients affected by hypothyroidism, low T3 (LT3) syndrome and hyperthyroidism. During the follow-up, death for all causes was assessed as primary end-point, whereas time to the first hospitalization for heart failure worsening was the secondary end-point analyzed. RESULTS: Among 762 patients, 190 patients were affected by hypothyroidism (Hypo). LT3 syndrome was diagnosed in 15 patients and 59 patients were affected by hyperthyroidism (Hyper). During a long term follow-up (5.1±3.7 years), 303 patients died. Patients with Hypo showed an increased risk of death as well as of hospitalization due to heart failure worsening at univariate regression analysis. At multivariate regression analysis, Hypo remained associated with hospitalization after correction for age >75 years, ischemic aetiology, diabetes, therapy with ACE-inhibitors or ARBs, therapy with betablockers and with aldosterone antagonists, NYHA class 3, systolic arterial pressure <95 mmHg, left ventricular ejection fraction <30%, estimated glomerular filtration rate <60 ml/min, hyponatremia and NTproBNP> 1000 pg/ml. At multivariate analysis, the independent association with death was significant only for the subgroup of patients with TSH >10 mIU/L. LT3 was independently associated with both heart failure hospitalization and death, whereas Hyper was not associated with any of the two considered end-points. CONCLUSION: Hypo is associated with a worse prognosis over a long-term follow-up. The association with heart failure hospitalization is not dependent on the baseline TSH levels, whereas the association with death is significant only when TSH >10 mIU/L. Finally, Hyper does not have any association with a worse prognosis.

New Frontiers in the Therapeutic Approach of Patients with Cardiovascular and Endocrine Diseases.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: Cardiovascular disease is the most important cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide, with a significant economic burden, which is expected to increase in the next years. Alongside the management of cardiac manifestations and major risk factors for atherosclerosis, great attention has been paid to the role of comorbidities in initiating and worsening cardiac conditions. DISCUSSION: The cardiovascular impact of a broad spectrum of endocrine disorders has been evaluated, with particular regard to their effects on cardiac function and cardiovascular prognosis in affected patients. Among the different endocrine conditions considered, the association between subclinical hypothyroidism and cardiovascular events is still uncertain. A number of observational studies have linked subclinical hypothyroidism (in particular severe elevation of TSH levels) with incident cardiovascular disease and poor prognosis, however thyroid replacement therapy is still controversial, especially in the elderly, due to the lack of evidence coming from randomized controlled trials. With regards to testosterone deficiency, even though it has been associated with metabolic abnormalities and poor prognosis in patients affected by cardiovascular diseases, the cardiac safety of replacement therapy has still to be completely clarified. Similarly, growth hormone deficiency showed detrimental effects on cardiovascular events and risk factors which seem to be reverted by replacement therapy, even if unequivocal evidence from randomized clinical trials is still lacking Another relevant chapter in cardiovascular disease management is about the cardiovascular outcomes of diabetes medical treatments. In recent years, a growing interest has been developed around the cardiovascular safety of antidiabetic medications which has led to a great number of publications addressing this issue for the different classes of antidiabetic drugs. Interestingly, the recently approved classes, i.e. incretins and SGLT-2 inhibitors, have additionally demonstrated a protective effect against major cardiovascular events, shedding new light on the management of diabetes in patients affected by cardiovascular disease. CONCLUSION: Important controversies still exist regarding the cardiac implications of the therapies adopted in endocrine diseases. Owing the large prevalence of these conditions, particularly in the cardiovascular population, further research is awaited in order to clarify the potential advantage and the possible cardiac risk related to treatment of the endocrine comorbidities.

Sex-related differences in left ventricular structure in early adolescent non-professional athletes.

BACKGROUND: Professional athletes exhibit lower left ventricular wall thicknesses, diameters and mass (in females), with less frequent training-related electrocardiogram (ECG) changes, as compared with controls. METHODS: We studied the association of sex with left ventricular structure in trained early adolescents. Two hundred and six adolescent Caucasian athletes (mean age 13.8 ± 1.6, range 11.8-16.9 years, 158 males and 48 females), with similar degree of training underwent ECG and echocardiographic measurements of left ventricular diameters, thicknesses and mass, with relative wall thickness as the remodelling index. RESULTS: As compared with females, males exhibited greater maximal wall thickness (males = 8.7 ± 1.2 vs. females = 7.9 ± 0.8) and indexed left ventricular mass (100 ± 18 g/m(2) vs. 79 ± 12, p < 0.001), without differences in relative wall thickness (males = 0.35 ± 0.04 vs. females = 0.34 ± 0.04) and with higher prevalence of ECG-based left ventricular hypertrophy, sinus bradycardia and ST-elevation. An analysis of covariance, using age, body surface area, systolic blood pressure, heart rate and sex as the covariates, reported that sex is a strong predictor of left ventricular mass, maximal wall thickness, left ventricular diastolic diameter and ECG-based left ventricular hypertrophy. In a binary logistic regression model analysis sex, like left ventricular mass, predicted ST-trait elevation. CONCLUSIONS: Our results suggest that, in early adolescence, female athletes have lower left ventricular mass and thicknesses compared with males, without geometrical differences. Therefore, sex, independent of age, is a strong determinant of structural parameters also in early adolescent athletes. These data indicate that sex-specific parameters are needed in the pre-participation cardiovascular screening of adolescent athletes.