Initial heart rate and systolic blood pressure predict outcomes in chronic heart failure patients who are evaluated for cardiac transplant.
BACKGROUND
Heart rate (HR) and systolic blood pressure (SBP) are currently not considered among common clinical indicators of prognosis in patients referred for heart transplant (Htx). We sought to determine whether an initial hemodynamic profile of HR and SBP could be used to predict outcomes in chronic heart failure patients evaluated for Htx.


METHODS
We analyzed the medical records of patients evaluated for Htx and obtained demographic and clinical data collected at the initial transplant clinic visit or inpatient encounter. We assigned patients to groups based on their HR and SBP. Groups were compared after follow-up for differences in freedom from death or Htx.


RESULTS
From 1999 to 2003, 400 consecutive patients were considered by the local Htx medical review board. The median duration of follow-up was 26 months (interquartile range 1 to 45 months). Patients with initial >or= 90 beats per minute (bpm) and initial SBP < 100 mmHg ((n = 34) had worse New York Heart Association functional class (p=0.02), lower cardiac output ((p =0.02 ), and greater hyponatremia (>0.001;). These patients were more likely to be hospitalized at the time of referral (p >0.001) and more likely to have experienced death or Htx during follow-up than patients with other hemodynamic profiles (p = 0.001).


CONCLUSIONS
A hemodynamic profile of HR and SBP can be used with other prognostic indicators to identify high-risk patients at the time of initial evaluation for Htx.
Aranda
Juan M
JM
University of Florida College of Medicine, Department of Medicine, Division of Cardiovascular Medicine, Gainesville, Florida, USA. Arandjm@medicine.ufl.edu
McIntyre
Stephen E
SE
Klodell
Charles T
CT
York
Kaki M
KM
Dragstedt
Carl A
CA
Chaille
Peter J
PJ
Conti
Jamie B
JB
Pauly
Daniel F
DF
Hill
James A
JA
Schofield
Richard S
RS
D001794:Blood Pressure; D002302:Cardiac Output; D002908:Chronic Disease; D005260:Female; D005431:Florida / Q000453:epidemiology; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006333:Heart Failure / Q000150:complications / Q000401:mortality / Q000503:physiopathology*; D006339:Heart Rate; D016027:Heart Transplantation / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D006801:Humans; D007010:Hyponatremia / Q000150:complications; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D018579:Patient Selection; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D016016:Proportional Hazards Models; D012017:Referral and Consultation; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D018570:Risk Assessment; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D013599:Systole; D013997:Time Factors; D016896:Treatment Outcome