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The relationship between red cell distribution width and cardiac autonomic function in heart failure.
Shinya Yamada1, Akiomi Yoshihisa1,2, Takashi Kaneshiro1,3
1Department of Cardiovascular Medicine Fukushima Medical University Fukushima Japan.
Journal of Arrhythmia
|December 18, 2020
Summary
High red cell distribution width (RDW) levels in heart failure patients are linked to autonomic dysfunction and increased cardiac events. This suggests RDW as a potential prognostic marker for heart failure outcomes.
Area of Science:
- Cardiology
- Internal Medicine
- Clinical Research
Background:
- Red cell distribution width (RDW) and autonomic dysfunction are associated with heart failure progression.
- The precise relationship between RDW levels and autonomic function in heart failure remains unclear.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the association between RDW levels and autonomic function in heart failure patients.
- To evaluate the impact of RDW on heart failure prognosis using heart rate variability (HRV) and heart rate turbulence (HRT).
Main Methods:
- Studied 222 stable heart failure patients before discharge.
- Assessed autonomic function using Holter recordings for HRV and HRT.
- Categorized patients into high RDW (>14.5%) and low RDW (≤14.5%) groups.
Main Results:
- The high RDW group exhibited significantly impaired HRV and HRT compared to the low RDW group.
- RDW levels correlated with lower heart rate variability parameters (LF to HF ratio and VLF power).
- High RDW was associated with a substantially higher rate of cardiac events over a median follow-up of 1400 days (45.6% vs 23.8%).
Conclusions:
- Elevated RDW levels in heart failure patients are indicative of autonomic dysfunction.
- High RDW is a significant predictor of poor clinical outcomes and increased cardiac events in heart failure.
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