title: Impact of weight loss on mortality in chronic heart failure: findings from the RICA Registry.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Obesity increases the risk of heart failure (HF), but a significant survival benefit in obese patients has been described once they have been diagnosed with HF. There is little information about the effects of weight loss among patients with HF. We aimed to assess the frequency of weight loss in patients with HF from the RICA Registry and whether weight loss is associated with mortality.
  
  
  METHODS
  We investigated weight changes in 731 patients with HF and analysed the effect of weight loss of 5% or more of their baseline bodyweight during follow-up.
  
  
  RESULTS
  419 (57.3%) patients lost weight during follow-up but only 152 (20.8%) lost at least 5% of the baseline bodyweight. We did not find significant differences in demographic, clinical, functional and analytical parameters between patients with and without weight loss or 5% or more of their bodyweight. We observed a significant improvement in the mean NYHA functional class value and a non-significant improvement in the LVEF in all patients. A significant decrease in the natriuretic peptide levels was only observed in the patients who lost weight. Survival rates at 1year follow-up for patients with and without weight loss or 5% or more were 75.7% (95% CI: 67.1-84.3%) and 77.1% (95% CI: 72.8-81.4%), respectively (p=0.92). Re-admission rates for patients with and without weight loss were 52.7% (95% CI: 42.9-62.43%) and 50.0% (95% CI: 45.3-54.7%), respectively (p=0.34).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Significant weight loss occurred in 20.8% of patients with HF. Weight loss was not associated with mortality or readmission.
authors.affiliation: Internal Medicine Service, Hospital Sant Jaume de Olot, Universitat de Girona, Girona, Spain. jctv5153@comg.cat
authors.forename: Joan Carles
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: Trullàs
authors.forename: Francesc
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Formiga
authors.forename: Manuel
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Montero
authors.forename: Margarita
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Carrera-Izquierdo
authors.forename: Jordi
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Grau-Amorós
authors.forename: David
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Chivite-Guillén
authors.forename: Luís
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Manzano
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001835:Body Weight / Q000502:physiology*; D002908:Chronic Disease; D015331:Cohort Studies; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006333:Heart Failure / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000401:mortality* / Q000503:physiopathology*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012042:Registries; D013030:Spain / Q000453:epidemiology; D015996:Survival Rate / Q000639:trends; D015431:Weight Loss / Q000502:physiology*