Are Non-Invasive Modalities for the Assessment of Atherosclerosis Useful for Heart Failure Predictions?

Area of Science:

• Cardiology
• Preventive Medicine
• Medical Imaging

Background:

• Heart failure (HF) is a growing global health concern with substantial morbidity and mortality.
• Preventing HF is a critical clinical objective.
• Traditional cardiovascular disease risk predictors have limitations in assessing HF risk.

Purpose of the Study:

• To review the clinical significance of non-invasive atherosclerosis assessment modalities.
• To examine the utility of these modalities in predicting heart failure risk.
• To explore the influence of left ventricular ejection fraction on predictive accuracy.

Main Methods:

• Review of existing literature on non-invasive atherosclerosis assessment techniques.
• Analysis of the predictive value of coronary artery calcification, ankle-brachial index, and carotid intima-media thickness for HF.
• Examination of the role of left ventricular ejection fraction in HF risk prediction.

Main Results:

• Non-invasive atherosclerosis assessments are superior to traditional methods for predicting atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease risk.
• These modalities show promise in assessing HF risk, particularly when left ventricular ejection fraction is reduced.
• Predicting HF with preserved ejection fraction using these measures is challenging due to the condition's heterogeneity.

Conclusions:

• Non-invasive atherosclerosis assessments offer valuable insights into heart failure risk.
• The predictive power is enhanced in cases of reduced ejection fraction, often linked to coronary artery disease.
• Further research is essential to improve HF with preserved ejection fraction risk prediction.