Decreased cardiac output, venous congestion and the association with renal impairment in patients with cardiac dysfunction.
BACKGROUND
Renal failure in heart failure is related to decreased cardiac output. However, little is known about its association with venous congestion.


OBJECTIVE
To investigate the relationship between venous congestion and glomerular filtration rate (GFR) in patients with cardiac dysfunction.


RESULTS
Right atrial pressure (RAP) and cardiac index (CI) were determined by right heart catheterisation in 51 patients with cardiac dysfunction, secondary to pulmonary hypertension. GFR and renal blood flow (RBF) were measured as (125)I-Iothalamate and (131)I-Hippuran clearances, respectively. Mean age was 40+/-11 years and 69% of patients were female. GFR was 73+/-19 ml/min/1.73 m2 with a CI of 2.1+/-0.7 l/min/m2. In multivariate analysis, RBF (r=0.664, p<0.001) and RAP (r=- 0.367, p=0.020) were independently associated with GFR. In patients in the lower ranges of RBF, venous congestion was an important determinant of renal function.


CONCLUSIONS
RBF is the main factor determining GFR in patients with cardiac dysfunction. Venous congestion, characterised by an increased RAP, adjusted for RBF is also related to GFR. Treatment to preserve GFR should not only focus on improvement of renal perfusion, but also on decreasing venous congestion.
Damman
Kevin
K
Department of Cardiology, University Medical Center Groningen, University of Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands.
Navis
Gerjan
G
Smilde
Tom D J
TD
Voors
Adriaan A
AA
van der Bij
Wim
W
van Veldhuisen
Dirk J
DJ
Hillege
Hans L
HL
D000328:Adult; D002302:Cardiac Output / Q000502:physiology*; D005260:Female; D005919:Glomerular Filtration Rate / Q000502:physiology; D006333:Heart Failure / Q000209:etiology / Q000503:physiopathology*; D006801:Humans; D006976:Hypertension, Pulmonary / Q000150:complications*; D007668:Kidney / Q000098:blood supply*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D051437:Renal Insufficiency / Q000503:physiopathology*; D014689:Venous Insufficiency / Q000503:physiopathology*