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Prevalence and clinical significance of liver function abnormalities in patients with acute heart failure

Klaudia Vyskocilova1, Lenka Spinarova1, Jindrich Spinar2

  • 11st Department of Internal Medicine - Cardioangiology, St. Anne's University Hospital in Brno, International Clinical Research Center and Faculty of Medicine, Masaryk University, Brno, Czech Republic.

Biomedical Papers of the Medical Faculty of the University Palacky, Olomouc, Czechoslovakia
|March 14, 2014
PubMed

Insights

Abnormal liver function tests (LFTs) are common in acute heart failure (AHF), affecting 76% of patients. LFT patterns correlate with AHF severity and type, aiding diagnosis and management.

Area of Science:

  • Cardiology
  • Hepatology
  • Internal Medicine

Background:

  • Cardiac dysfunction can lead to liver pathology, but its clinical significance in acute heart failure (AHF) requires further evaluation.
  • Understanding liver involvement in AHF is crucial for accurate diagnosis and effective patient management.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To determine the prevalence of abnormal liver function tests (LFTs) in patients with AHF.
  • To identify factors associated with hepatic impairment in AHF patients.

Main Methods:

  • Utilized data from the AHEAD (Acute Heart Failure Database) registry, including 1473 AHF patients.
  • Analyzed baseline serum activities of LFTs and total bilirubin.

Main Results:

  • 76% of AHF patients exhibited abnormal LFTs, with variations in specific enzyme elevations.
  • LFT abnormalities were linked to AHF severity (e.g., left ventricular ejection fraction, NYHA class) and clinical presentation.
  • Distinct LFT patterns (hepatocellular vs. cholestatic) were associated with different types of AHF and tricuspid regurgitation severity.

Conclusions:

  • Characterizing LFT profiles in AHF is important for clinical management.
  • Identifying typical LFT patterns can prevent unnecessary hepatic investigations and diagnostic errors in AHF patients.
Abstract

Keywords:
bilirubincongestive hepatopathyheart failureischemic hepatitisliver function tests

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