Impact of predictive value of Fibrosis-4 index in patients hospitalized for acute heart failure

• Published in: International journal of cardiology Vol. 324; pp. 90 - 95
• Main Authors: Shibata, Naoki, Kondo, Toru, Kazama, Shingo, Kimura, Yuki, Oishi, Hideo, Arao, Yoshihito, Kato, Hiroo, Yamaguchi, Shogo, Kuwayama, Tasuku, Hiraiwa, Hiroaki, Morimoto, Ryota, Okumura, Takahiro, Sumi, Takuya, Sawamura, Akinori, Shimizu, Kiyokazu, Murohara, Toyoaki
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Netherlands Elsevier B.V 01.02.2021
• Subjects: Acute Disease; Acute heart failure; Aged; Aged, 80 and over; Alanine Transaminase; Aspartate Aminotransferases; Female; Fibrosis; Fibrosis-4 index; Heart Failure - diagnosis; Hepatic dysfunction; Humans; Male; Prognosis; Retrospective Studies; AST; MELD; FIB4; Acute heart failure; ALT; Fibrosis-4 index; Hepatic dysfunction; LFT; AHF
• ISSN: 0167-5273; 1874-1754
• DOI: 10.1016/j.ijcard.2020.09.056

Abnormalities in liver function tests commonly occur in patients with acute heart failure (AHF). The Fibrosis-4 (FIB4) index, a non-invasive and easily calculated marker, has been used for hepatic diseases and reflects adverse prognosis. It is not clearly established whether the FIB4 index at admission can predict adverse outcomes in patients with AHF. From a multicenter AHF registry, we retrospectively evaluated 1162 consecutive patients admitted due to AHF (median age 78 [69–85] years and 702 patients [60.4%] were male). The FIB4 index at admission was calculated as: age (yrs) × aspartate aminotransferase [U/L]/(platelets count [103/μL] × √alanine aminotransferase [U/L]. The median value of the FIB4 index at admission was 2.79. All-cause mortality and rehospitalization due to HF at 12 months were investigated as a composite endpoint and occurred in 142 (12.2%) patients and 232 (20%) patients, respectively. Kaplan-Meyer analysis shows a significant increase in the composite endpoint from the first to fourth quartile group of the FIB4 index values (log-rank, p < 0.001). Multivariate Cox regression model revealed the FIB4 index was an independent risk predictor for composite endpoint in patients with AHF (3 months: HR ratio 1.013 [95% Confidence interval (CI):1.001–1.025]; p = 0.03, 12 months: HR 1.015 [95% CI:1.005–1.025]; p = 0.003, respectively). However, neither aspartate aminotransferase, alanine aminotransferase, nor platelet count was found to be a significant predictor. Hepatic dysfunction evaluated with the FIB4 index at admission is a predictor of the composite endpoint of all-cause mortality and rehospitalization in AHF patients. •Liver dysfunction often occurs in acute heart failure patients.•The FIB4 index was developed as a noninvasive index to stage hepatic disease.•We evaluated the predictability of the FIB4 index in patients with acute heart failure.•The higher FIB4 index at admission could be a strong predictor of adverse outcomes.