Key result
Constipation is linked to ~2.6-fold higher risk of heart failure readmission.
Why the study?
Although constipation is common in cardiovascular disease, few studies have examined its relationship with prognosis in patients with heart failure.
Does constipation increase the risk of all-cause mortality and readmission due to heart failure in patients with acute heart failure?
Cohort (n=397)
No
Does constipation increase the risk of all-cause mortality and readmission due to heart failure in patients with acute heart failure?
Hazard Ratio: 2.61 (95% CI 1.38–4.94)
p-value: p=0.0032
Constipation is strongly associated with an increased risk of hospital readmission for heart failure among patients presenting with acute heart failure, identifying a potential novel target for clinical management.
Constipation signals higher HF readmission risk in acute HF; hypothesis-generating and requires prospective trials before changing practice.
AIMS: Constipation is a common gastrointestinal disorder that is associated with a high cardiovascular event rate in the general population. Although constipation is common in patients with cardiovascular diseases, only a few studies have examined the relationship between constipation and the prognosis of patients with heart failure. This study aimed to evaluate the effects of constipation on the prognosis of patients with acute heart failure. METHODS AND RESULTS: We investigated 397 patients admitted to our hospital from December 2020 to December 2022 with acute heart failure (mean age, 81 ± 13 years; 54% men). Patients with constipation were defined as those either taking laxatives regularly or diagnosed with constipation according to the International Statistical Classification of Diseases and Related Health Problems. During the follow-up periods (median, 173 days), 35 patients died, and 74 experienced readmission due to heart failure. Kaplan-Meier analysis before and after propensity score matching using 14 variables revealed that the risk of readmission due to heart failure was significantly higher in patients with constipation than in those without (before: log-rank P = 0.014, after: log-rank P = 0.0027). The adjusted Cox proportional hazards analysis revealed that the hazard ratio for readmission due to heart failure was 2.61 (95% confidence interval, 1.38-4.94, P = 0.0032). The risk of all-cause death was not significantly different between the two groups (hazard ratio, 1.76; 95% confidence interval, 0.61-5.06; P = 0.30). CONCLUSIONS: Constipation status was strongly associated with a higher risk of readmission for heart failure in patients with acute heart failure.
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Namiuchi et al. (2023) conducted a cohort in Acute heart failure (n=397). Constipation vs. No constipation was evaluated on Readmission due to heart failure (HR 2.61, 95% CI 1.38-4.94, p=0.0032). Constipation was associated with a 2.61-fold higher risk of readmission for heart failure compared to patients without constipation.
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