Faculty Bibliography

BACKGROUND: In the SHOCK trial an invasive strategy of early revascularization was associated with a significant mortality benefit at 6-months when compared with initial stabilization in patients with cardiogenic shock complicating acute myocardial infarction. Our objectives were to evaluate the data on real world practice and outcomes of invasive vs. conservative management in patients with cardiogenic shock. METHODS: We analyzed data from the Nationwide Inpatient Sample (NIS) between 2002 to 2011 with primary discharge diagnosis of acute myocardial infarction and secondary diagnosis of cardiogenic shock. Propensity score matching was used to assemble a cohort of patients managed invasively (with cardiac catheterization, percutaneous coronary intervention or coronary artery bypass graft surgery) vs. conservatively with similar baseline characteristics. The primary outcome was in-hospital mortality. RESULTS: We identified 60833 patients with cardiogenic shock of which 20644 patients (10322 in each group) with similar propensity scores, including 11,004 elderly patients (>/= 75 years), were in the final analysis. Patients who underwent invasive management had a 59% lower odds of in-hospital mortality (37.7% vs. 59.7%; OR=0.41; 95% CI 0.39-0.43; P<0.0001) when compared with those managed conservatively. This lower mortality was consistently seen across all tested subgroups; specifically in the elderly (>/= 75 years) (44.0% vs. 63.6%; OR=0.45; 95% CI 0.42-0.49; P<0.0001) and those younger than 75 years (30.6% vs. 55.1%; OR=0.36; 95% CI 0.33-0.39; P<0.0001) although the magnitude of risk reduction differed (Pinteraction <0.0001). CONCLUSIONS: In this largest cohort of patients with cardiogenic shock complicating acute myocardial infarction, patients managed invasively had significantly lower mortality when compared with those managed conservatively, even in the elderly. Our results emphasize the need for aggressive management in this high-risk subgroup.

The clinical management of takotsubo cardiomyopathy is challenging. Its diagnosis must be made on clinical grounds and differentiated from alternative diagnoses with echocardiography, serum biomarkers, cardiac catheterization, and cardiac magnetic resonance imaging. Acute therapy includes supportive care, targeting the precipitating trigger if known, b-blockade, inhibitors of the renin-angiotensin system, and consideration of systemic anticoagulation in all patients. Recovery of left ventricular function to normal is expected regardless of early therapy. Although the prognosis is generally favorable, monitoring for early dangerous complications is essential. There is no evidence to support use of long-term medical therapy to reduce the risk of recurrence.

Ventricular remodeling is a complex process mediated by pathogenic factors all of which interact at the cellular, ventricular and systemic levels to cause progressive left ventricular dilation and subsequently a heart failure syndrome. Remodeling is a well-characterized response to insult or injury and is initiated early on by neurohormonal activation. Neurohormonal antagonists have formed the foundation of therapy to alter the progression of remodeling and concomitantly improve outcomes. Surgical ventricular reconstruction was designed as a surgical means to reduce the ventricular radius and in principal decrease ventricular wall stress as defined by the Law of Laplace. Despite optimistic initial results from case series, the Surgical Treatment for Ischemic Heart Failure Trial (STICH) trial, a large randomized trial of ventricular reconstruction in addition to coronary artery bypass surgery (CABG) therapy for management of patients with heart failure with a reduced ejection fraction showed no clinical benefit. We will summarize the evidence that demonstrates the foundational role of neurohormonal blockade in improving outcomes in patients with heart failure with a reduced ejection and the evidence behind its role in "medical ventricular reconstruction".

BACKGROUND: Hemoconcentration has been proposed as a putative biomarker of effective decongestion therapy in heart failure patients. The prevalence and clinical correlates of hemoconcentration in hospitalized patients with acute decompensated heart failure (ADHF) have not been previously described. METHODS AND RESULTS: We retrospectively reviewed paired values of hemoglobin at admission and discharge to identify evidence of hemoconcentration in 295 subjects hospitalized with ADHF and determined the association between hemoconcentration and risk of worsening renal function and survival. Subjects with hemoconcentration (n = 75) received higher diuretic doses and demonstrated greater weight loss during hospitalization when compared with subjects without hemoconcentration (median [IQR] loop diuretic dose 180 (120) versus 160 (150) mg, P = .014; mean +/- SD weight loss 4.0 +/- 3.1 versus 2.2 +/- 3.1 kg, P < .001). In univariate analysis, hemoconcentration was associated with increased risk of worsening renal function (odds ratio 2.34, 95% CI 1.27-4.30, P = .006), but decreased risk of all-cause mortality (hazard ratio 0.53, 95% CI 0.29-0.96, P = .035). In multivariate analysis, hemoconcentration remained independently associated with worsening renal function, but not mortality. CONCLUSIONS: Hemoconcentration is significantly associated with increased diuretic dose, greater weight loss, and increased risk of worsening renal function during hospitalization. Hemoconcentration was significantly associated with mortality in univariate analysis, but not in multivariate analysis