Association between systolic ejection time and outcomes in heart failure by ejection fraction
Priyesh A Patel1, Andrew P Ambrosy2,3, Matthew Phelan4
1Sanger Heart and Vascular Institute, Atrium Health, Charlotte, NC, USA.
Insights
In heart failure patients, a longer systolic ejection time (SET) is linked to better outcomes in those with reduced ejection fraction (HFrEF). This finding suggests targeting SET could be a future therapy for HFrEF.
Area of Science:
- Cardiology
- Echocardiography
- Heart Failure Research
Background:
- Worsening heart failure (HF) is often associated with a shorter left ventricular systolic ejection time (SET).
- Limited data exist on the relationship between SET and clinical outcomes in ambulatory HF patients.
- Understanding this relationship is crucial for identifying new therapeutic targets.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the association between SET and 1-year clinical outcomes in ambulatory patients with heart failure.
- To compare SET and outcomes between HF with reduced ejection fraction (HFrEF) and HF with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF) populations.
- To determine if SET is an independent predictor of adverse outcomes in different HF phenotypes.
Main Methods:
- Retrospective analysis of 545 ambulatory HF patients (HFrEF and HFpEF) with outpatient echocardiograms.
- Multivariable logistic regression was employed to assess the association between SET and 1-year composite outcomes (death or HF hospitalization).
- Patient demographics, ejection fraction (EF), and echocardiographic parameters including SET were analyzed.
Main Results:
- HFrEF patients had significantly shorter SET (280 ms) compared to HFpEF patients (315 ms).
- The composite outcome of death or HF hospitalization occurred in 26.9% of HFrEF patients and 11.8% of HFpEF patients.
- After multivariable adjustment, a longer SET was independently associated with lower odds of the composite outcome in HFrEF but not in HFpEF patients.
Conclusions:
- Longer SET is independently associated with improved 1-year outcomes in patients with HFrEF.
- The association between SET and outcomes was not significant in the HFpEF group.
- Normalizing SET may represent a potential therapeutic strategy for patients with systolic dysfunction in heart failure.
Aims:
Worsening heart failure (HF) is associated with shorter left ventricular systolic ejection time (SET), but there are limited data describing the relationship between SET and clinical outcomes. Thus, the objective was to describe the association between SET and clinical outcomes in an ambulatory HF population irrespective of ejection fraction (EF).
Methods And Results:
We identified ambulatory patients with HF with reduced EF (HFrEF) and HF with preserved EF (HFpEF) who had an outpatient transthoracic echocardiogram performed between August 2008 and July 2010 at a tertiary referral centre. Multivariable logistic regression was used to evaluate the association between SET and 1-year outcomes. A total of 545 HF patients (171 HFrEF, 374 HFpEF) met eligibility criteria. Compared with HFpEF, HFrEF patients were younger [median age 60 years (25th-75th percentiles 50-69) vs. 64 years (25th-75th percentiles 53-74], with fewer females (30% vs. 56%) and a similar percentage of African Americans (36% vs. 35%). Median (25th-75th percentiles) EF with HFrEF was 30% (25-35%) and with HFpEF was 54% (48-58%). Median SET was shorter (280 ms vs. 315 ms, P < 0.001), median pre-ejection period was longer (114 ms vs. 89 ms, P < 0.001), and median relaxation time was shorter (78.7 ms vs. 93.3 ms, P < 0.001) among patients with HFrEF vs. HFpEF. Death or HF hospitalization occurred in 26.9% (n = 46) HFrEF and 11.8% (n = 44) HFpEF patients. After adjustment, longer SET was associated with lower odds of the composite of death or HF hospitalization at 1 year among HFrEF but not HFpEF patients.
Conclusion:
Longer SET is independently associated with improved outcomes among HFrEF patients but not HFpEF patients, supporting a potential role for normalizing SET as a therapeutic strategy with systolic dysfunction.
More Related Videos
Related Concept Videos
Heart Failure II: Pathophysiology
Pathophysiology of Heart Failure
Heart Failure IV: Classification and Diagnostic Evaluation
Heart Failure V: Medical Management
Heart Failure I: Introduction
Heart Failure VI: Adjunct Therapies


