Bone status in men with heart failure: results from the Studies Investigating Co-morbidities Aggravating Heart...

Area of Science:

• Cardiology
• Endocrinology
• Geriatrics

Background:

• Heart failure (HF) is associated with various comorbidities, including metabolic disturbances.
• Bone metabolism alterations are increasingly recognized in patients with chronic diseases like HF.
• Assessing bone status in men with HF is crucial for understanding disease progression and patient outcomes.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate bone mineral density (BMD) at the hip in men diagnosed with heart failure (HF).
• To identify potential correlations between BMD, bone turnover markers, and clinical parameters in HF patients.
• To determine the prognostic value of BMD and bone markers for survival in this population.

Main Methods:

• Dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA) was used to measure hip bone mineral density (BMD) in 141 male patients with HF.
• Markers of bone metabolism, including osteocalcin and osteoprotegerin, were analyzed.
• Patient survival was tracked over an 8-year follow-up period, with statistical analyses performed to identify predictors of outcomes.

Main Results:

• Patients with lower hip BMD were older, more likely to be sarcopenic, and had lower peak oxygen consumption compared to those with higher BMD.
• Elevated levels of osteoprotegerin and osteocalcin were observed in patients with lower BMD.
• A significant reduction in BMD was noted over a 30-month follow-up period in a subset of patients.
• Serum osteocalcin independently predicted lower hip BMD, while hip BMD and serum osteoprotegerin independently predicted impaired survival.

Conclusions:

• Heart failure patients experience progressive bone mineral density (BMD) loss.
• Osteocalcin serves as an independent marker for lower hip BMD, and osteoprotegerin predicts mortality in HF patients.
• Early assessment of BMD and bone turnover markers in HF patients may allow for timely interventions to improve prognosis.