People with heart failure, sarcopenia and chagas disease: A systematic review and meta-analysis
Melissa Orlandin Premaor1, Suellen de Azevedo Mendes1, Gustavo Henrique Silva Ambrósio Vieira1
1Department of Clinical Medicine, Medical School, Federal University of Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, Brazil.
Insights
Heart failure patients have a higher risk of sarcopenia, with prevalence varying by definition. Chagas disease-related heart failure may present a greater risk for sarcopenia compared to other causes.
Area of Science:
- Cardiology
- Geriatrics
- Public Health
Background:
- Heart failure (HF) is a complex condition associated with significant morbidity.
- Sarcopenia, the age-related loss of skeletal muscle mass and function, is increasingly recognized as a complication in chronic diseases.
- The prevalence and specific risk factors for sarcopenia in heart failure populations require further elucidation.
Purpose of the Study:
- To systematically review and estimate the prevalence of sarcopenia in individuals diagnosed with heart failure (HF).
- To compare the prevalence of sarcopenia between heart failure caused by Chagas disease (HF-C) and heart failure from other causes (HF-NC).
Main Methods:
- A comprehensive systematic review was conducted, including randomized controlled trials, cohort studies, cross-sectional studies, and case-control studies.
- Studies involving individuals over 18 years of age with heart failure where sarcopenia frequency was assessed were included.
- Data extraction and synthesis were performed to estimate sarcopenia prevalence and compare between HF subgroups.
Main Results:
- The systematic review identified 25 relevant studies from an initial search of 3347 records.
- The overall prevalence of sarcopenia in heart failure patients, using the EWGSOP2 criteria, was estimated at 23.27%.
- Prevalence varied significantly based on the diagnostic criteria used (p=0.0002), with an overall odds ratio for sarcopenia in HF of 2.3.
- Two studies focusing on HF-C reported a sarcopenia prevalence of 24.2%, with an odds ratio of 1.93 compared to HF-NC, though this did not reach statistical significance.
Conclusions:
- Patients with heart failure exhibit an elevated risk of developing sarcopenia.
- The reported prevalence of sarcopenia is influenced by the specific diagnostic criteria employed in studies.
- Evidence suggests a potentially higher risk of sarcopenia in individuals with HF-C compared to HF-NC, warranting further investigation.
Background:
This systematic review aims to estimate the prevalence of sarcopenia in people with heart failure (HF) and assess whether there is a difference in sarcopenia prevalence based on the underlying cause of HF, specifically comparing HF due to Chagas (HF-C) disease with HF from other causes (HF-NC).
Methods:
A systematic review of randomized controlled trials, cohort studies, cross-sectional studies, and case-control studies was carried out. Individuals with HF over 18 years who had their frequency of sarcopenia evaluated were included.
Results:
Overall, 3347 studies were found, of which 199 had their full texts evaluated. A total of 25 records were identified. The prevalence of sarcopenia, as defined by EWGSOP2 criteria, was 23.27% (95%CI 15.4, 33.6). Further, there were differences in sarcopenia prevalence according to the definition used in the studies (p-value = 0.0002). The odds ratio of sarcopenia in people with HF was 2.3 (95%CI 1.1, 4.8). Two studies specifically evaluated sarcopenia in HF-C, reporting a prevalence of 24.2% (95%CI 12.6, 41.5). The odds ratio for sarcopenia in HF-C was 1.93 (95% CI 0.40, 9.30) compared to HF-NC.
Conclusions:
Patients with HF have an increased risk of developing sarcopenia. However, the prevalence of sarcopenia varies according to the definition used. Furthermore, our findings highlight the hypothesis that the risk of sarcopenia in HF-C might be higher than HF-NC.
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