Pulmonary Catherization Data Correlate Poorly with Renal Function in Heart Failure

The mechanisms of renal dysfunction in heart failure are poorly understood. We chose to explore the relationship of cardiac filling pressures and cardiac index (CI) in relation to renal dysfunction in advanced heart failure.

To determine the relationship between renal function and cardiac filling pressures using the United Network of Organ Sharing (UNOS) pulmonary artery catherization registry.

Patients over the age of 18 years who were listed for single-organ heart transplantation were included. Exclusion criteria included a history of mechanical circulatory support, previous transplantation, any use of renal replacement therapy, prior history of malignancy, and cardiac surgery, amongst others. Correlations between serum creatinine (SCr) and CI, pulmonary capillary wedge pressure (PCWP), pulmonary artery systolic pressure (PASP), and pulmonary artery diastolic pressure (PADP) were assessed by Pearson correlation coefficients and simple linear regression coefficients.

Pearson correlation coefficients between SCr and PCWP, PASP, and PADP were near zero with values of 0.1, 0.07, and 0.08, respectively (p < 0.0001). A weak negative correlation coefficient between SCr and CI was found (correlation coefficient, -0.045, p = 0.027). In a subgroup of young patients unlikely to have noncardiac etiologies, no significant correlations between these values were identified.

These findings suggest that, as assessed by pulmonary artery catherization, none of the factors - PCWP, PASP, PADP, or CI - play a prominent role in cardiorenal syndromes.