Chronic Heart Failure: Clinical Implications of Iron Homeostasis Disturbances Revisited.

Iron deficiency is prevalent in chronic heart failure (CHF) patients. Nonetheless, the diagnosis is often overlooked and, often, the treatment is commenced just when overt anemia has ensued. Therefore, a better appreciation of this disease is needed, and all seasoned cardiologists should know how to approach CHF patients with iron deficiency correctly, as mandated by clinical practice guidelines. In this comprehensive review, we describe iron homeostasis, the pathophysiologic changes of iron homeostasis, and the clinical implications of iron deficiency on CHF patients. In addition, we delineate the evolution of clinical trials, ranging from the inception to the ongoing clinical trials of iron deficiency treatment in CHF patients. Iron deficiency contributes to the worse clinical outcome of the patients. Numerous studies have reported the clinical benefit of iron supplementation, particularly in intravenous preparation, in heart failure patients regarding symptoms, functional capacity, and quality of life (QoL) improvement. Therefore, the current guidelines recommend routine screening of iron status in all newly diagnosed heart failure patients. Eventually, intravenous iron replacement is recommended for symptomatic heart failure patients with iron deficiency, irrespective of anemia.

Tachycardia and Pre-existing Chronic Kidney Disease Are Predictors of the Worse Clinical Outcomes in Patients Recently Hospitalized With Acute Heart Failure.

BACKGROUND: This study aimed to assess the factors contributing to the outcomes of recently hospitalized patients with heart failure (HF). METHODS: A prospective data of 76 adults who were admitted due to acute HF between October 1, 2019 and June 30, 2020 at our center were analyzed. Endpoints included survival and rehospitalization within six months after discharge. RESULTS: The mean age was 64.9 ± 13.8 years, with a male preponderance (68.4%). Approximately 60.5% of patients had the left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) <40%, whereas 26.3% of patients had LVEF ≥50%. Coronary artery disease (75%), arterial hypertension (72.4%), chronic kidney disease (46.1%), and diabetes mellitus (46.1%) were the most frequent comorbidities. Poor compliance (40.8%) and non-cardiac infection (21.1%) were the common precipitating factors for hospitalization. The majority of subjects had severe symptoms, indicated by the frequent need of intensive care unit (43%), high N-terminal prohormone brain natriuretic peptide levels [NT-proBNP; median, 4765 (1539.7-11782.2) pg/mL], and presence of either atrial fibrillation, severe mitral regurgitation, or significant pulmonary hypertension in approximately one-third of cases. Even though in-hospital mortality was relatively low (2.6%), the all-cause mortality and rehospitalization rates in the next six months after discharge were still high, reaching 22.54% and 19.72%, respectively. Further survival analysis showed that tachycardia on admission and pre-existing chronic kidney disease (CKD) resulted in low six-month survival rates among these patients. CONCLUSION: After hospital discharge, patients with HF were still exposed to higher risks of death and readmission albeit with the medication addressed. Tachycardia on admission and pre-existing CKD might predict worse outcomes.

Comparing Lung CT in COVID-19 Pneumonia and Acute Heart Failure: An Imaging Conundrum.

Background Chest computed tomography (CT) provides an effective modality to evaluate patients with suspected coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). However, overlapping imaging findings with cardiogenic pulmonary edema is not uncommon. Reports comparing the chest CT features of these diseases have not been elaborated. Thus, we aimed to show the difference between the low-dose lung CT findings of COVID-19 pneumonia and comparing them to those with acute heart failure (HF). Methods This retrospective analysis enrolled hospitalized patients with COVID-19 (n=10) and acute heart failure (n=9) that exclusively underwent low-dose chest CT scans within 24 hours of admission. Clinical and lung CT characteristics were collected and analyzed. Results The appearance of ground-glass-opacities (GGOs) has been recorded in all individuals in the HF and COVID-19 groups. There was no significant statistical difference between the two groups for rounded morphology, consolidation, crazy paving pattern, lesion distribution, and parenchymal band (P> 0.05). However, diffuse lesions were more frequent in HF cases (55.6% vs. 0%) than in COVID-19 pneumonia, which had a predominantly multifocal pattern. Notably, CT images in HF patients were more likely to have signs of interstitial tissue thickening, such as the interlobular septums, fissures, and peribronchovascular interstitium (55.6% vs 0%, 88.9% vs 20% and 44.4% vs 0%, respectively), as well as cardiomegaly (77.8% vs 0%), increased artery to bronchus ratio (55.6% vs 0%), and pleural effusions (77.8% vs 0%). Conclusions Major overlaps of lung CT imaging features existed between COVID-19 pneumonia and acute HF cases. However, signs of fluid redistribution are clues that favor HF over COVID-19 pneumonia.

Phlegmasia Alba Dolens Complicating Rhabdomyolysis.

A 57-year-old woman with obesity, severe dyslipidemia and hypertension presented with acute onset of excruciating pain at left leg followed by entire leg swelling without a specific provocation. Physical examination revealed a significant left lower limb oedema along with pale skin, livedo reticularis, poikilothermia, and diminished distal artery pulsation. Urgent vascular Doppler sonography of left lower limb showed obstructive venous thrombus and non-compressible vessel at level of iliofemoral vein. Arterial systems were without any obliteration but with relatively reduced flow to distal part. Blood test resulted in significantly raised creatinine and creatine kinase (CK) level. Diagnosis of phlegmasia alba dolens with complication of rhabdomyolysis and acute kidney injury had been made initially. The patient was treated with heparin as well as rehydration using saline solution and bicarbonate. Eventually, she had clinical improvement during hospitalization and been discharged with resolution of creatinine and CK level.

Discovery of biomarkers for the presence and progression of left ventricular diastolic dysfunction and HEart faiLure with Preserved ejection Fraction in patients at risk for cardiovascular disease: rationale and design of the HELPFul case-cohort study in a Dutch cardiology outpatient clinic.

INTRODUCTION: Left ventricular diastolic dysfunction (LVDD) is a common condition in both sexes that may deteriorate into heart failure (HF) with preserved ejection fraction (pEF), although this seems to happen more often in women than in men. Both LVDD and HFpEF often go unrecognised, necessitating the discovery of biomarkers that aid both the identification of individuals with LVDD at risk of developing HF and identification of individuals most likely to benefit from treatment. METHODS AND ANALYSIS: HELPFul is an ongoing case-cohort study at a Dutch cardiology outpatient clinic enrolling patients aged 45 years and older without history of cardiovascular disease, who were referred by the general practitioner for cardiac evaluation. We included a random sample of patients and enriched the cohort with cases (defined as an E/e' ≥8 measured with echocardiography). Information about medical history, cardiovascular risk factors, electrocardiography, echocardiography, exercise test performance, common carotid intima-media thickness measurement and standard cardiovascular biomarkers was obtained from the routine care data collected by the cardiology outpatient clinic. Study procedure consists of extensive venous blood collection for biobanking and additional standardised questionnaires. Follow-up will consist of standardised questionnaires by mail and linkage to regional and national registries. We will perform cardiac magnetic resonance imaging and coronary CT angiography in a subgroup of patients to investigate the extent of macrovascular and microvascular coronary disease. ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION: The study protocol was approved by the Institutional Review Board of the University Medical Center Utrecht. Results will be disseminated through national and international conferences and in peer-reviewed journals in cardiovascular disease. TRIAL REGISTRATION: NTR6016;Pre-results.