scholarly journals Beta-Adrenergic Blockade Therapy for Autonomic Dysfunction is Less Effective for Elderly Patients with Heart Failure and Reduced Left Ventricular Ejection Fraction

2015 ◽  
Vol 6 ◽  
pp. JCM.S30488
Author(s):  
Ken Shimamoto ◽  
Masatoshi Kawana

Objective Heart rate variability (HRV) has been reported to be an independent predictor of all-cause and sudden cardiac death in patients with heart failure. In the aging heart, however, both autonomic and cardiac functions appear to be altered. We assessed the relationship between aging and responsiveness of HRV and ventricular remodeling to beta-adrenergic blockade therapy in patients with heart failure and reduced ejection fraction (HFREF). Methods Twenty-eight clinically stable patients with chronic heart failure, sinus rhythm, and left ventricular ejection fraction <50% as confirmed by echocardiography were included. At baseline and after carvedilol treatment, 24-hour ambulatory Holter monitor recording was used to analyze HRV indices by the maximum entropy method. Changes in these parameters were compared among three age groups. Results HR decreased in all groups after carvedilol treatment, but was still highest in the youngest group despite the same treatment doses. Time and frequency domain variables improved. The response of time domain variables (the standard deviation of all normal sinus to normal sinus [NN] intervals and the standard deviation of the averages of NN intervals in all 5-minute or 30-minute segments) to carvedilol therapy significantly decreased with increasing age. Ventricular reverse remodeling induced by carvedilol therapy significantly decreased with increasing age. Increases in time domain variables and a low-frequency domain moderately correlated with left ventricular reverse remodeling. Conclusion Beta-adrenergic blockade therapy improved HRV variables and ventricular remodeling in HFREF patients; however, the response tended to be milder in the elderly. HRV improvement was associated with ventricular reverse remodeling.

2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (3) ◽  
Author(s):  
Judith Albert ◽  
Susanne Lezius ◽  
Stefan Störk ◽  
Caroline Morbach ◽  
Gülmisal Güder ◽  
...  

Background Prospective longitudinal follow‐up of left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) trajectories after acute cardiac decompensation of heart failure is lacking. We investigated changes in LVEF and covariates at 6‐months' follow‐up in patients with a predischarge LVEF ≤40%, and determined predictors and prognostic implications of LVEF changes through 18‐months' follow‐up. Methods and Results Interdisciplinary Network Heart Failure program participants (n=633) were categorized into subgroups based on LVEF at 6‐months' follow‐up: normalized LVEF (>50%; heart failure with normalized ejection fraction, n=147); midrange LVEF (41%–50%; heart failure with midrange ejection fraction, n=195), or persistently reduced LVEF (≤40%; heart failure with persistently reduced LVEF , n=291). All received guideline‐directed medical therapies. At 6‐months' follow‐up, compared with patients with heart failure with persistently reduced LVEF, heart failure with normalized LVEF or heart failure with midrange LVEF subgroups showed greater reductions in LV end‐diastolic/end‐systolic diameters (both P <0.001), and left atrial systolic diameter ( P =0.002), more increased septal/posterior end‐diastolic wall‐thickness (both P <0.001), and significantly greater improvement in diastolic function, biomarkers, symptoms, and health status. Heart failure duration <1 year, female sex, higher predischarge blood pressure, and baseline LVEF were independent predictors of LVEF improvement. Mortality and event‐free survival rates were lower in patients with heart failure with normalized LVEF ( P =0.002). Overall, LVEF increased further at 18‐months' follow‐up ( P <0.001), while LV end‐diastolic diameter decreased ( P =0.048). However, LVEF worsened ( P =0.002) and LV end‐diastolic diameter increased ( P =0.047) in patients with heart failure with normalized LVEF hospitalized between 6‐months' follow‐up and 18‐months' follow‐up. Conclusions Six‐month survivors of acute cardiac decompensation for systolic heart failure showed variable LVEF trajectories, with >50% showing improvements by ≥1 LVEF category. LVEF changes correlated with various parameters, suggesting multilevel reverse remodeling, were predictable from several baseline characteristics, and were associated with clinical outcomes at 18‐months' follow‐up. Repeat hospitalizations were associated with attenuation of reverse remodeling. Registration URL: https://www.controlled‐trials.com ; Unique identifier: ISRCTN23325295.


Circulation ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 142 (Suppl_3) ◽  
Author(s):  
Natasha Cuk ◽  
Jae H Cho ◽  
Donghee Han ◽  
Joseph E Ebinger ◽  
Eugenio Cingolani

Introduction: Sudden death due to ventricular arrhythmias (VA) is one of the main causes of mortality in patients with heart failure and preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF). Ventricular fibrosis in HFpEF has been suspected as a substrate of VA, but the degree of fibrosis has not been well characterized. Hypothesis: HFpEF patients with increased degree of fibrosis will manifest more VA. Methods: Cedars-Sinai medical records were probed using Deep 6 artificial intelligence data extraction software to identify patients with HFpEF who underwent cardiac magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). MRI of identified patients were reviewed to measure extra-cellular volume (ECV) and degree of fibrosis. Ambulatory ECG monitoring (Ziopatch) of those patients were also reviewed to study the prevalence of arrhythmias. Results: A total of 12 HFpEF patients who underwent cardiac MRI were identified. Patients were elderly (mean age 70.3 ± 7.1), predominantly female (83%), and overweight (mean BMI 32 ± 9). Comorbidities included hypertension (83%), dyslipidemia (75%), and coronary artery disease (67%). Mean left ventricular ejection fraction by echocardiogram was 63 ± 8.7%. QTc as measured on ECG was not significantly prolonged (432 ± 15 ms). ECV was normal in those patients for whom it was available (24.2 ± 3.1, n = 9) with 3/12 patients (25%) demonstrating ventricular fibrosis by MRI (average burden of 9.6 ± 5.9%). Ziopatch was obtained in 8/12 patients (including all 3 patients with fibrosis) and non-sustained ventricular tachycardia (NSVT) was identified in 5/8 (62.5%). One patient with NSVT and without fibrosis on MRI also had a sustained VA recorded. In those patients who had Ziopatch monitoring, there was no association between presence of fibrosis and NSVT (X2 = 0.035, p = 0.85). Conclusions: Ventricular fibrosis was present in 25% of HFpEF patients in this study and NSVT was observed in 62.5% of those patients with HFpEF who had Ziopatch monitoring. The presence of fibrosis by Cardiac MRI was not associated with NSVT in this study; however, the size of the cohort precludes broadly generalizable conclusions about this association. Further investigation is required to better understand the relationship between ventricular fibrosis by MRI and VA in patients with HFpEF.


Author(s):  
Andreas Rillig ◽  
Christina Magnussen ◽  
Ann-Kathrin Ozga ◽  
Anna Suling ◽  
Axel Brandes ◽  
...  

Background: Even on optimal therapy, many patients with heart failure and atrial fibrillation experience cardiovascular complications. Additional treatments are needed to reduce these events, especially in patients with heart failure and preserved left ventricular ejection fraction (HFpEF). Methods: This prespecified subanalysis of the randomized EAST - AFNET 4 trial assessed the effect of systematic, early rhythm control therapy (ERC; using antiarrhythmic drugs or catheter ablation) compared to usual care (UC, allowing rhythm control therapy to improve symptoms) on the two primary outcomes of the trial and on selected secondary outcomes in patients with heart failure, defined as heart failure symptoms NYHA II-III or left ventricular ejection fraction [LVEF] <50%. Results: This analysis included 798 patients (300 (37.6%) female, median age 71.0 [64.0, 76.0] years, 785 with known LVEF). The majority of patients (n=442) had HFpEF (LVEF≥50%; mean LVEF 61% ± 6.3%), the others had heart failure with mid-range ejection fraction (n=211; LVEF40-49%; mean LVEF 44% ± 2.9%) or heart failure with reduced ejection fraction (n=132; LVEF<40%; mean LVEF 31% ± 5.5%). Over the 5.1-year median follow-up, the composite primary outcome of cardiovascular death, stroke or hospitalization for worsening of heart failure or for acute coronary syndrome occurred less often in patients randomized to ERC (94/396; 5.7 per 100 patient-years) compared with patients randomized to UC (130/402; 7.9 per 100 patient-years; hazard ratio 0.74 [0.56-0.97], p=0.03), not altered by heart failure status (interaction p-value=0.63). The primary safety outcome (death, stroke, or serious adverse events related to rhythm control therapy) occurred in 71/396 (17.9%) heart failure patients randomized to ERC and in 87/402 (21.6%) heart failure patients randomized to UC (hazard ratio 0.85 [0.62-1.17], p=0.33). LV ejection fraction improved in both groups (LVEF change at two years: ERC 5.3%±11.6%, UC 4.9%±11.6%, p=0.43). ERC also improved the composite outcome of death or hospitalization for worsening of heart failure. Conclusions: Rhythm control therapy conveys clinical benefit when initiated within one year of diagnosing atrial fibrillation in patients with signs or symptoms of heart failure. Clinical Trial Registration: Unique Identifiers: ISRCTN04708680, NCT01288352, EudraCT2010-021258-20, Study web site www.easttrial.org; URLs: www.controlled-trials.com; https://clinicaltrials.gov; https://www.clinicaltrialsregister.eu


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