DrugLib.com — Drug Information Portal

Rx drug information, pharmaceutical research, clinical trials, news, and more



Combination of the Electrocardiographic Strain Pattern and Albuminuria for the Prediction of New-onset Heart Failure in Hypertensive Patients: The LIFE Study.

Author(s): Okin PM, Wachtell K, Devereux RB, Nieminen MS, Oikarinen L, Viitasalo M, Toivonen L, Ibsen H, Olsen MH, Borch-Johnsen K, Lindholm LH, Kjeldsen SE, Julius S, Dahlof B

Affiliation(s): 1Greenberg Division of Cardiology, Weill Medical College of Cornell University, New York, New York, USA.

Publication date & source: 2008-03, Am J Hypertens., 21(3):273-9. Epub 2008 Jan 24.

BackgroundAlthough albuminuria and the electrocardiographic (ECG) strain pattern each predict development of heart failure (HF), whether combining albuminuria and strain improves prediction of new HF is unclear.MethodsThe relation of ECG strain and albuminuria to new-onset HF was examined in 7,786 hypertensive patients with no history of HF, who were randomly assigned to treatment with losartan or atenolol. Albuminuria was defined by a urine albumin/creatinine ratio >30.94 mg/g.ResultsDuring a mean follow-up of 4.7 +/- 1.1 years, new-onset HF occurred in 231 patients (3.0%). Five-year HF rate was highest when both strain and albuminuria were present (10.4%), intermediate when only ECG strain (8.0%) or albuminuria (4.9%) was present, and lowest when neither strain nor albuminuria was present at baseline (1.8%, P < 0.0001). In Cox multivariable analyses, controlling for HF risk factors, treatment assignment and baseline severity of ECG left ventricular hypertrophy (LVH) by both Sokolow-Lyon voltage and Cornell product, ECG strain and albuminuria remained significant predictors of incident HF, with the presence of both strain and albuminuria associated with the highest risk (HR 2.8, 95% CI 1.8-4.4) and the presence of only strain (HR 2.6, 95% CI 1.7-4.0) or albuminuria (HR 2.1, 95% CI 1.5-2.8) with intermediate risk of new HF compared with the absence of both strain and albuminuria.ConclusionsThe combination of albuminuria and ECG strain identifies hypertensive patients at an increased risk of developing HF in the setting of aggressive blood pressure lowering, independent of treatment modality and of other risk factors for HF.American Journal of Hypertension (2008) doi:10.1038/ajh.2007.66American Journal of Hypertension (2008) doi:10.1038/ajh.2007.66.

Page last updated: 2008-03-26

-- advertisement -- The American Red Cross
 
Home | About Us | Contact Us | Site usage policy | Privacy policy

All Rights reserved - Copyright DrugLib.com, 2006-2017