Brain markers are linked to higher risk of death in heart failure
In an observational study of 491 hospitalized heart failure patients followed for a median 3.6 years, two markers of cognitive decline were associated with all-cause mortality.
Limit: Causes of death were not recorded, only all-cause mortality
Edited by Boris Djordjevic · AgingResearch.News
Researchers followed 491 patients hospitalized for heart failure, who had a median age of 76 years and were 31% female, in an observational study. They measured phosphorylated tau-217 and neurofilament light, two biomarkers previously shown to predict cognitive decline. Over a median follow-up of 3.6 years, 355 patients died.
After adjustment for age, sex, body mass index, systolic blood pressure and smoking status, higher levels of both markers were independently associated with death from any cause. The adjusted hazard ratios, which describe relative rates of death, were 1.36 for phosphorylated tau-217 and 1.78 for neurofilament light. Neurofilament light showed a stronger association across all models. Neither biomarker was significantly associated with rehospitalization for heart failure.
Why it matters
In this older population with heart failure, the study addressed whether biomarkers that predict cognitive decline might also provide information about survival beyond traditional risk factors and biomarkers.
Caveats
This observational study cannot establish cause and effect. The findings come from a conference abstract involving 491 hospitalized heart failure patients and do not establish whether the associations extend to people with heart failure who were not hospitalized.
