title: Prognostic markers in heart failure--congestion, neurohormones, and the cardiorenal syndrome.
abstract: There are several markers of poor prognosis in heart failure (HF). The most established markers of poor prognosis in HF include neurohormonal (NH) imbalance, low ejection fraction (EF), ventricular arrhythmias, intraventricular conduction delays, low functional capacity, low SBP, and renal failure. The relative importance of these factors is unknown, as they have never been studied together. We present a 74-year-old female with nonischemic cardiomyopathy and an EF<20% who over 24 years since diagnosis, never developed clinical or hemodynamic congestion, was never hospitalized for HF, and never required a loop diuretic. She had all of the clinical indicators of poor prognosis in HF except for severe NH imbalance and renal failure, illustrating their importance in HF prognosis. While NH activation in HF is initially an adaptive mechanism, an imbalance of NH effectors causes congestion leading to a vicious cycle of congestion, renal dysfunction, and worsening of HF. The combination of NH activation and renal failure in HF is a vasomotor nephropathy known as the cardiorenal syndrome (CRS) and portends a poor prognosis. Pharmacological disruption of NH pathways early in HF may prevent CRS and, therefore, improve outcomes.
authors: Northwestern University, Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, IL 60611, USA. jblair1@gmail.com
authors: John Edward Abellera
authors: JE
authors: Blair
authors: Amin
authors: A
authors: Manuchehry
authors: Amar
authors: A
authors: Chana
authors: Joseph
authors: J
authors: Rossi
authors: Robert W
authors: RW
authors: Schrier
authors: John C
authors: JC
authors: Burnett
authors: Mihai
authors: M
authors: Gheorghiade
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000818:Animals; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000378:metabolism; D002311:Cardiomyopathy, Dilated / Q000150:complications / Q000503:physiopathology; D005260:Female; D006333:Heart Failure / Q000150:complications* / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000503:physiopathology*; D006801:Humans; D018377:Neurotransmitter Agents / Q000502:physiology*; D011379:Prognosis; D051437:Renal Insufficiency / Q000150:complications* / Q000503:physiopathology; D018487:Ventricular Dysfunction, Left / Q000503:physiopathology
chemical_list: D015415:Biomarkers; D018377:Neurotransmitter Agents