Urinary albumin excretion in heart failure with preserved ejection fraction: an interim analysis of the CHART 2 study

Heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF) is characterized by multiple co-morbidities, including chronic kidney disease that is one of the prognostic risks for these patients. This study was performed to evaluate the value of determination of albuminuria using a urine dipstick test (UDT), combined with estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR), for predicition of mortality in HFpEF.

We enrolled 2465 consecutive patients with overt HF with EF ≥50% in our Chronic Heart Failure Analysis and Registry in the Tohoku District 2 (CHART-2) study (NCT00418041). We defined trace or more UDT as positive. We divided the patients into the following four groups based on eGFR and UDT; group 1 (G1) (eGFR ≥60, negative UDT), G2 (eGFR ≥60, positive UDT), G3 (eGFR <60, negative UDT), and G4 (eGFR <60, positive UDT). In total, 29.5% of the HFpEF patients had a positive UDT. HFpEF patients with a positive UDT were characterized by higher brain natriuretic peptide levels and frequent histories of hypertension or diabetes. During a mean follow-up of 2.5 years, HFpEF patients with a positive UDT showed higher mortality in each stratum of eGFR levels. A multivariable adjusted Cox model showed that when compared with G1 (reference), the hazard ratio of all-cause death for G2, G3, and G4 was 2.44 (95% confidence interval 1.47-4.05, P=0.001), 1.43 (0.92-2.23, P=0.12), and 2.71 (1.72-4.27, P<0.001), respectively. Furthermore, the prognostic value of a positive UDT was robust for both cardiovascular and non-cardiovascular deaths.

These results indicate that measurement of albuminuria in addition to eGFR is useful for appropriate risk stratification in HFpEF patients.