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Echocardiographic ejection fraction in patients with acute heart failure: correlations with hemodynamic, clinical, and neurohormonal measures and short‐term outcome
Author(s) -
Uriel Nir,
TorreAmione Guillermo,
Milo Olga,
Kaluski Edo,
Perchenet Loïc,
Blatt Alex,
Kobrin Isaac,
Turnovski Arkadi,
Kaplan Shoshana,
Rainisio Maurizio,
Frey Aline,
Vered Zvi,
Cotter Gad
Publication year - 2005
Publication title -
european journal of heart failure
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 5.149
H-Index - 133
eISSN - 1879-0844
pISSN - 1388-9842
DOI - 10.1016/j.ejheart.2004.10.013
Subject(s) - medicine , heart failure , cardiology , ejection fraction , hemodynamics , contractility
Abstract Background Although echocardiographic ejection fraction (EF) is frequently used for the estimation of left ventricular contractility in patients with acute heart failure, its exact role and correlations with clinical, hemodynamic, and neurohormonal variables of cardiac contractility is not known. Methods Patients (343) with acute heart failure, enrolled into two prospective placebo‐controlled hemodynamic studies of tezosentan, and in whom EF was available at baseline, were included. Outcome was evaluated in a subset of 94 patients who were enrolled in the placebo arms of the studies. Results Higher echocardiographic EF was correlated with older age, increased incidence of hypertension and atrial fibrillation, and female gender. We observed weak correlation between EF and cardiac output or cardiac power and no correlation with wedge pressure, and the change in hemodynamic variables over time. Higher EF was correlated with more baseline leukocytosis and higher plasma levels of endothelin‐1 and blood urea nitrogen, while lower EF was related to higher baseline B‐type natriuretic peptide (BNP). We observed no overall correlations between EF and outcome. Conclusions In patients with acute heart failure, echocardiographic EF is weakly correlated with hemodynamic measures of left ventricular contractility and outcome; hence, it should be interpreted cautiously when evaluating patients admitted due to acute heart failure.