Heart failure, micronutrient profile, and its connection with thyroid dysfunction and nutritional status.

Area of Science:

• Cardiology
• Endocrinology
• Nutritional Science

Background:

• Heart failure (HF) is a significant public health concern.
• Dietary intake of essential microelements like iodine, selenium, zinc, and iron is crucial.
• Imbalances in these micronutrients can contribute to thyroid dysfunction, a potential comorbidity in HF.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the relationship between the functional class of heart failure patients and their levels of iodine, selenium, iron, and zinc.
• To assess the correlation between these micronutrient levels and the presence of thyroid dysfunction in HF patients.

Main Methods:

• A cohort of 109 heart failure outpatients had blood and urine samples analyzed for micronutrient levels.
• Body Mass Index (BMI) was calculated, and laboratory tests were performed.
• Statistical analyses, including descriptive statistics and multivariate logistic regression, were conducted at a 5% significance level.

Main Results:

• The study population was predominantly elderly and overweight.
• Observed micronutrient imbalances included excess ioduria, serum selenium and zinc, erythrocyte zinc, and deficiencies in serum iron and erythrocyte selenium.
• Thyroid dysfunction was present in 8.3% of patients and was significantly associated with higher heart failure functional class (III or IV).

Conclusions:

• Heart failure patients exhibited deficiencies in serum iron and erythrocyte selenium.
• No direct link was found between hypothyroidism and specific mineral deficiencies.
• The severity of heart failure, rather than micronutrient status, appeared more closely related to thyroid dysfunction and functional class progression.