Background The prognostic impact of benzodiazepines has been unclear in patients with heart failure (HF). Methods and Results This was a historical observational cohort study. A total of 826 patients who had been hospitalized for HF and were being treated for insomnia with either benzodiazepines or Z‐drugs (zolpidem, zopiclone, or eszopiclone), were enrolled and divided on the basis of their hypnotics: benzodiazepine group (n=488 [59.1%]) and Z group (n=338 [40.9%]). We compared the patient characteristics and postdischarge prognosis between the groups. The primary end points were rehospitalization for HF and cardiac death. The benzodiazepine group was older (age, 72.0 versus 69.0 years; P =0.010), had a higher prevalence of depression (17.4% versus 8.9%; P <0.001), and showed a higher use of loop diuretics (77.9% versus 67.8%; P =0.001). In the laboratory data, the benzodiazepine group demonstrated lower levels of hemoglobin (12.3 versus 13.0 g/ dL ; P =0.001), sodium (139.0 versus 140.0 mE q/L; P =0.018), and albumin (3.7 versus 3.9 g/ dL ; P =0.003). Kaplan‐Meier analysis showed that both end points were higher in the benzodiazepine group (rehospitalization for HF , log‐rank P =0.001; cardiac death, log‐rank P =0.043). Multiple Cox proportional hazard analysis revealed that the use of benzodiazepines was an independent predictor of rehospitalization for HF (hazard ratio, 1.530; 95% CI, 1.025–2.284; P =0.038). Furthermore, rehospitalization for HF was higher in the benzodiazepine group after propensity score matching (log‐rank P =0.036). Conclusions Benzodiazepine is associated with higher risk of rehospitalization for HF compared with Z‐drugs in patients with HF .
BackgroundIt has been recently reported that the renal venous stasis index (RVSI) assessed by renal Doppler ultrasonography provides information to stratify pulmonary hypertension that can lead to right-sided heart failure (HF). However, the clinical significance of RVSI in HF patients has not been sufficiently examined. We aimed to examine the associations of RVSI with parameters of cardiac function and right heart catheterization (RHC), as well as with prognosis, in patients with HF.MethodsWe performed renal Doppler ultrasonography, echocardiography and RHC in hospitalized patients with HF (n = 388). RVSI was calculated as follows: RVSI = (cardiac cycle time-venous flow time)/cardiac cycle time. The patients were classified to three groups based on RVSI: control group (RVSI = 0, n = 260, 67%), low RVSI group (0 < RVSI ≤ 0.21, n = 63, 16%) and high RVSI group (RVSI > 0.21, n = 65, 17%). We examined associations of RVSI with parameters of cardiac function and RHC, and followed up for cardiac events defined as cardiac death or worsening HF.ResultsThere were significant correlations of RVSI with mean right atrial pressure (mRAP; R = 0.253, P < 0.001), right atrial area (R = 0.327, P < 0.001) and inferior vena cava diameter (R = 0.327, P < 0.001), but not with cardiac index (R = −0.019, P = 0.769). During the follow-up period (median 412 days), cardiac events occurred in 60 patients. In the Kaplan–Meier analysis, the cumulative cardiac event rate increased with increasing RVSI (log-rank, P = 0.001). In the multivariate Cox proportional hazard analysis, the cardiac event rate was independently associated with RVSI (high RVSI group vs. control group: hazard ratio, 1.908; 95% confidence interval, 1.046–3.479, P = 0.035).ConclusionRVSI assessed by renal Doppler ultrasonography reflects right-sided overload and is associated with adverse prognosis in HF patients.
Background: It has been reported that the pattern of hepatic vein (HV) waveforms determined by abdominal ultrasonography is useful for the diagnosis of hepatic fibrosis in patients with chronic liver disease. We aim to clarify the clinical implications of HV waveform patterns in patients with heart failure (HF). Methods: We measured HV waveforms in 350 HF patients, who were then classified into 3 categories based on their waveforms: those with a continuous pattern (C group); those whose V wave ran under the R ESUM E
Background The prognostic impact of platelet distribution width (PDW), which is a specific marker of platelet activation, has been unclear in patients with heart failure (HF). Methods and results We conducted a prospective observational study enrolling 1,746 hospitalized patients with HF. Patients were divided into tertiles based on levels of PDW: 1st (PDW < 15.9 fL, n = 586), 2nd (PDW 15.9–16.8 fL, n = 617), and 3rd (PDW ≥ 16.9, n = 543) tertiles. We compared baseline patients’ characteristics and post-discharge prognosis: all-cause death; cardiac death; and cardiac events. The 3rd tertile showed the highest age and levels of B-type natriuretic peptide compared to other tertiles (1st, 2nd, and 3rd tertiles; age, 69.0, 68.0, and 70.0 years old, P = 0.038; B-type natriuretic peptide, 235.2, 171.9, and 241.0 pg/mL, P < 0.001). Left ventricular ejection fraction was equivalent among the tertiles. In the Kaplan-Meier analysis, rates of all endpoints were the highest in the 3rd tertile (log-rank P < 0.001, respectively). The Cox proportional hazard analysis revealed that the 3rd tertile was associated with adverse prognosis (all-cause death, hazard ratio [HR] 1.716, P < 0.001; cardiac death, HR 1.919, P < 0.001; cardiac event, HR 1.401, P = 0.002). Conclusions High PDW is a novel predictor of adverse prognosis in patients with HF.
Background: It has been recently reported that liver stiffness assessed by transient elastography reflects right atrial pressure (RAP) and is associated with worse outcomes in patients with heart failure (HF). However, the relationship between shear wave dispersion (SWD, a novel indicator of liver viscosity) determined by abdominal ultrasonography and RAP, and the prognostic impact of SWD on HF patients have not been fully examined. We aimed to clarify the associations of SWD with parameters of liver function test (LFT) and right heart catheterization (RHC), as well as with cardiac events such as cardiac death and worsening HF, in patients with HF. Methods: We performed abdominal ultrasonography, LFT and RHC in HF patients (n = 195), and followed up for cardiac events. We examined associations between SWD and parameters of LFT and RHC. Results: There were significant correlations between SWD and circulating levels of direct bilirubin (R = 0.222, p = 0.002), alkaline phosphatase (R = 0.219, p = 0.002), cholinesterase (R = −0.184, p = 0.011), and 7S domain of collagen type IV (R = 0.177, p = 0.014), but not with RAP (R = 0.054, p = 0.567) or cardiac index (R = −0.015, p = 0.872). In the Kaplan–Meier analysis, cardiac event rate was significantly higher in the high SWD group (SWD ≥ 10.0 (m/s)/kHz, n = 103) than in the low SWD group (SWD < 10.0 (m/s)/kHz, n = 92; log-rank, p = 0.010). In the Cox proportional hazard analysis, high SWD was associated with high cardiac event rates (hazard ratio, 2.841; 95% confidence interval, 1.234–6.541, p = 0.014). In addition, there were no interactions between SWD and all subgroups, according to the subgroup analysis. Conclusions: SWD assessed by abdominal ultrasonography reflects liver fibrosis rather than liver congestion, and is associated with adverse prognosis in HF patients.
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