Noninvasive Screening for Elevated LVEDP and Health Status in Outpatients at Risk for Heart Failure

Heart failure (HF) is frequently underrecognized in primary care due to nonspecific symptoms, resulting in many patients presenting with severely compromised health status (symptoms, function, and quality of life) at the time of diagnosis.

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the diagnostic yield of screening outpatients at risk for HF using a noninvasive assessment of left ventricular end-diastolic pressure (LVEDP) and describe the health status of patients identified with elevated LVEDP.

A convenience sample of adults with diabetes mellitus, chronic kidney disease (CKD), or suspected HF were screened at 3 primary care clinics using the Vivio System to identify patients with LVEDP >18 mm Hg (positive screening). Among patients with a positive screening result, health status was assessed using the Kansas City Cardiomyopathy Questionnaire Overall Summary (KCCQ-OS) score.

Among 2,040 screened patients (mean age 74 ± 8 years; 49.8% women; 64.6% with diabetes mellitus; and 34.9% with CKD), 38.5% had an elevated LVEDP. Older patients, women, and those with CKD were more likely to have an elevated LVEDP (P < 0.01 for all). Of 653 KCCQ-OS scores collected (mean 85 ± 20), 31.4% had a KCCQ-OS of 100 (asymptomatic), and 26.5% had a KCCQ-OS <80, consistent with NYHA functional class II-IV.

Nearly 40% of screened patients with HF risk factors had an elevated LVEDP, with over two-thirds reporting significant health status impairment. Combining the KCCQ with noninvasive LVEDP assessments can identify patients who may require further HF evaluation. Future studies should assess the impact of these strategies on patients' subsequent treatment, health status, and clinical events.