Prevalence and prognostic impact of cognitive frailty in elderly patients with heart failure: sub-analysis of FRAGILE-HF.

AIMS: Although evidence suggests that cognitive decline and physical frailty in elderly patients with heart failure (HF) are associated with prognosis, the impact of concurrent physical frailty and cognitive impairment, that is, cognitive frailty, on prognosis has yet to be fully investigated. The current study sought to investigate the prevalence and prognostic impact of cognitive frailty in elderly patients with HF. METHODS AND RESULTS: This study is a sub-analysis of FRAGILE-HF, a prospective multicentre observational study involving patients aged ≥65 years hospitalized for HF. The Fried criteria and Mini-Cog were used to diagnose physical frailty and cognitive impairment, respectively. The association between cognitive frailty and the combined endpoint of mortality and HF rehospitalization within 1 year was then evaluated. Among the 1332 patients identified, 1215 who could be assessed using Mini-Cog and the Fried criteria were included in this study. Among those included, 279 patients (23.0%) had cognitive frailty. During the follow-up 1 year after discharge, 398 combined events were observed. Moreover, cognitive frailty was determined to be associated with a higher incidence of combined events (log-rank: P = 0.0146). This association was retained even after adjusting for other prognostic factors (hazard ratio: 1.55, 95% confidence interval: 1.13-2.13). Furthermore, a sensitivity analysis using grip strength, short physical performance battery, and gait speed to determine physical frailty instead of the Fried criteria showed similar results. CONCLUSIONS: This cohort study found that 23% of elderly patients with HF had cognitive frailty, which was associated with a 1.55-fold greater risk for combined events within 1 year compared with patients without cognitive frailty.

Association between estimated glomerular filtration rate and peripheral arterial disease.

BACKGROUND: Chronic kidney disease (CKD) is an evolving paradigm for the risk assessment of cardiovascular diseases. We hypothesized that an advanced stage of CKD may predict the presence of peripheral arterial disease (PAD). METHODS: Screening for PAD by an ankle-brachial pressure index (ABI) ≤0.9 was conducted in a consecutive series of 583 subjects (mean age 68.1±12.9 years, 411 men). Levels of estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) and factors associated with the presence of PAD were examined. RESULTS: Sixty patients (10.3%) had PAD and 192 patients (32.9%) had eGFR <60mL/min/1.73m(2) among all subjects. In patients with an advanced stage of CKD (stage ≥3, equivalent to eGFR <60mL/min/1.73m(2)), high prevalence of PAD (17.2%) and lower ABI levels (1.04±0.18) were observed. Univariate analyses revealed that PAD was associated with an advanced stage of CKD [odds ratio (OR) 1.850, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.322-2.588, p<0.001], as well as age, male gender, systolic blood pressure, and hemoglobin A1c. Multivariate logistic regression analyses revealed that PAD was independently predicted by the CKD stages (OR 1.498, 95% CI 1.011-2.220, p=0.044, adjusted for covariates). CONCLUSIONS: An advanced stage of CKD is independently and significantly associated with the presence of PAD. Targeted screening with ABI measurement can be beneficial in patients with CKD.

[Intraperitoneal irrigation for pseudomyxoma peritonei-a case of critical metabolic alkalosis precipitated by irrigation with 101 of sodium bicarbonate--].

Pseudomyxoma peritonei causes marked accumulation of jelly-like ascites in the peritoneal cavity. Removal of much mucinous ascites by irrigating the cavity appears to be an effective treatment. We describe a patient who underwent the irrigation with sodium bicarbonate solution and developed critical alkalemia. A 68-year-old woman with normal renal function was operated on for recurrent pseudomyxoma peritonei. Fol- lowing the excision of primary lesion, her intraperitoneal cavity was irrigated with 10 1 of 7% sodium bicarbonate in about 45 minutes. Thirty minutes after irrigation, blood gas analysis revealed severe metabolic alkalosis (pH 7.714, BE 25.6 mmol x l-1 ) with electrolyte disorder (Na 157.8 mmol x l-1 K 2.31mmol x l-1, Ca 0.73 mmol x l-1). Hypotension (<60 mmHg) and sinus tachycardia (>130 beats x min -1) supervened 75 minutes later. Transferring to the ICU, she was given KC1 solution intravenously based on serial blood analysis while on mechanical ventilation. The next day acid-base disturbance returned spontaneously to normal (pH 7.45, BE 8.0mmol x l-1), leading to endotracheal extubation. Electrolyte imbalance was gradually resolved on 2nd POD and she was discharged from the ICU. Intraperitoneal irrigation with sodium bicarbonate requires special perioperative considerations for lifethreatening alkalemia, especially in a patient with renal impairment.

Presence of diastolic dysfunction in patients with peripheral artery disease.

Peripheral artery disease (PAD) and heart failure (HF) share many risk factors; however, the prevalence and characteristics of HF in patients with PAD have not been fully examined. We investigated 120 consecutive patients with PAD, defined by an ankle-brachial index ≤ 0.9. In all, 36 (30%) patients had brain natriuretic peptide (BNP) levels ≥ 100 pg/mL (high BNP group), and 84 (70%) patients had BNP levels < 100 pg/mL (low BNP group). Univariate analysis showed that high BNP was associated with age, estimated glomerular filtration rate, hypertension, and transmitral E-wave/early diastolic mitral annular velocity (E/e') ratio. Multivariate logistic regression analysis established that a high BNP was strongly and independently associated with the highest quartile of E/e', highlighting these patients' diastolic dysfunction. The prevalence of high BNP levels in patients with PAD suggests that routine BNP measurements might be useful to detect HF.