[Renal failure is an independent predictor of mortality in hospitalized heart failure patients and is associated with a worse cardiovascular risk profile].
OBJECTIVE
Most clinical trials that demonstrated the negative impact of renal failure on survival in patients with congestive heart failure (CHF) included a relatively small proportion of subjects with a high creatinine level and were performed in patients with depressed left ventricular systolic function. Our aim was to investigate the clinical characteristics and prognosis of hospitalized CHF patients with depressed or preserved systolic function and different degrees of renal dysfunction.


METHODS
The study included 552 consecutive CHF patients admitted to a hospital department of cardiology between 2000-2002. Renal function was determined from the estimated glomerular filtration rate (GFR), and patients were divided into three groups: GFR>60, GFR 30-60, and GFR<30 mL.min per 1.73 m2 (severe renal failure), containing 56.5%, 35.5%, and 8.0% of patients, respectively.


RESULTS
Patients with severe renal failure had the worst cardiovascular risk profile: older age, higher prevalence of cardiovascular risk factors, anemia, inflammatory markers in plasma, and less prescription of angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors. Survival in this patient group was significantly poorer than in other groups (relative risk or RR=2.4; 95% CI, 1.3-4.4) in those with either depressed (RR=3.8; 95% CI, 1.4-10.6) or preserved (RR=2.9; 95% CI, 1.2-6.9) systolic function, independent of other prognostic factors. The negative impact of severe renal failure on prognosis was reduced by ACE inhibitor use.


CONCLUSIONS
Renal failure is common and a strong predictor of mortality in hospitalized CHF patients with or without depressed systolic function. It is associated with a worse risk profile.
Servicio de Cardiología, Hospital Clínico Universitario de Santiago de Compostela, La Coruña, España.
Lilian
L
Grigorian Shamagian
Alfonso
A
Varela Román
Milagros
M
Pedreira Pérez
Inés
I
Gómez Otero
Alejandro
A
Virgós Lamela
José R
JR
González-Juanatey
D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D000806:Angiotensin-Converting Enzyme Inhibitors / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use; D005260:Female; D005919:Glomerular Filtration Rate; D006333:Heart Failure / Q000150:complications* / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000401:mortality* / Q000503:physiopathology; D006801:Humans; D007297:Inpatients; D008297:Male; D011379:Prognosis; D051437:Renal Insufficiency / Q000150:complications* / Q000503:physiopathology; D012306:Risk; D012307:Risk Factors; D013599:Systole; D016277:Ventricular Function, Left
D000806:Angiotensin-Converting Enzyme Inhibitors