A single nutritional intervention can reduce adverse outcomes in acute heart failure

Patients with acute heart failure who received a single counselling before discharge on nutrition including on sodium and protein intake showed a significant reduction in a composite endpoint of cardiac death and heart failure admission.

Nutritional status has an impact on the prognosis of patients with heart failure. Malnutrition leads to adverse outcomes in these patients. Yet, the relationship between nutritional intervention and the prognosis of heart failure remains unknown.

Dr Kang-Un Choi (Yeungnam University Medical Center, South Korea) and his team investigated the clinical impact of nutritional intervention before discharge in patients hospitalised with acute heart failure. “We enrolled 781 patients, out of 998 patients with acute heart failure hospitalised in our University Medical Center between January 2014 and December 2017 in our study,” Dr Kang-Un Choi explained. The researchers categorised the patients into 2 groups: the control group (n=674) and the nutritional intervention group (n=107).

The nutritional intervention consisted of a single counselling on nutrition, including instructions on sodium and protein intake, performed before discharge. The primary study outcome was a composite of cardiac death and heart failure admission. Assessed as a secondary endpoint was the influence on all-cause mortality, cardiac death, non-cardiac death, and heart failure admission. The propensity score matching method (PSM) was used to correct differences in baseline characteristics between the 2 groups.

There was a significantly lower cumulative incidence rate of the primary outcome in the nutritional intervention group compared with the control group (P_logrank=0.033). Moreover, the nutritional intervention led to a significantly lower heart failure admission (P_logrank=0.042).

Dr Kang-Un Choi concluded that with just 1 counselling session on nutrition before discharge, the intervention appears to have a positive impact on patients with acute heart failure. These findings emphasise the importance of a multidisciplinary approach in patient management.

1. 1. Choi K, et al. Long-term clinical impact of nutritional intervention in patients with acute heart failure. Session ePosters in chronic heart failure – treatment 2, Heart Failure 2023, 20–23 May, Prague, Czechia.

 

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Posted on 25 May, 2023