Joint Association of Albuminuria and Left Ventricular Hypertrophy with Incident Heart Failure in High-Risk Adults with Hypertension: a SPRINT substudy

Albuminuria and left ventricular hypertrophy (LVH) are independent predictors of heart failure (HF), however their combined effect on risk of HF has not been explored previously.

To examine the joint associations of albuminuria and electrocardiographic (ECG) LVH with incident acute decompensated HF (ADHF), and whether albuminuria/LVH combinations modified the effects of blood pressure control strategy in reducing the risk of ADHF.

8,511 participants from the SPRINT (Systolic Blood Pressure Intervention Trial) were included. ECG-LVH was present if any of the following criteria: Cornell voltage, Cornell voltage product, or Sokolow Lyon were present. Albuminuria was defined as urine albumin-creatinine ratio (UACR) ≥30 mg/g. ADHF was defined as hospitalization or emergency visit for ADHF. Cox proportional hazard models were used to examine the association of neither LVH, nor albuminuria (reference), either LVH or albuminuria, and both (LVH + albuminuria) with incident ADHF.

Over a median follow-up of 3.2 years, 182 cases of ADHF occurred. In adjusted models, concomitant albuminuria and LVH were associated with higher risk of ADHF than either albuminuria or LVH in isolation (HR (95% CI): 4.95 (3.22-7.62), 2.04 (1.39-3.00), and 1.47 (0.93-2.32), respectively (additive interaction p=0.01). The effect of intensive blood pressure in decreasing ADHF attenuated among participants with co-existing albuminuria and LVH without any interaction between treatment group assignment and albuminuria/LVH categories (interaction p-value= 0.26).

Albuminuria and LVH are additive predictors of ADHF. The effect of intensive blood pressure control in decreasing ADHF risk did not vary significantly across albuminuria/LVH combinations.