# Temporal left ventricular ejection fraction variations and outcomes in wide population of cardiovascular patients with and without heart failure

## TL;DR

Improving ejection fraction in heart failure patients is linked to better outcomes, but the same improvement in non-heart failure patients may signal worse results.

## Contribution

The study reveals distinct prognostic implications of ejection fraction changes in heart failure versus non-heart failure patients.

## Key findings

- HF patients with improved ejection fraction had lower MACCE rates than those with decreased ejection fraction.
- Non-HF patients with improved ejection fraction had higher MACCE rates than those with stable ejection fraction.
- HFimpEF was an independent predictor of better outcomes in heart failure patients.

## Abstract

Heart failure (HF) with improved ejection fraction (HFimpEF) was shown to be related with improved outcome but increase of left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) in patients without HF is of less known clinical significance. The aim of the study was to evaluate long-term prognosis in patients with different cardiovascular disorders, with and without HF, depending on temporal variations of LVEF.

The study covered 31 920 patients (median age 71 years, 37.7% females) with different cardiovascular disorders and at least two measurements of LVEF separated by ≥1 month. Clinical parameters were acquired from database of Academic Repository of Clinical Cases of Medical University of Silesia. HFimpEF was defined by LVEF increase ≥10% in HF patients in relation to baseline value. The endpoints were all-cause mortality and Major Adverse Cardiac and Cerebrovascular Event (MACCE).

The median follow-up time was 51.5 months and LVEF was measured median 2 times. HF was diagnosed in 12 152 patients (38.1%), of which 2 843 (23.4%) experienced HFimpEF. MACCE occurrence was greater in HF than non-HF patients (12.78%/year vs. 6.07%/year, p < 0.001). In patients with HF, Kaplan–Meier survival curves showed significantly lower MACCE occurrence in HFimpEF and stable LVEF than in decreased LVEF (11.46%/year vs. 12.5%/year vs. 21.6%/year; log-rank p = 0.199 and p < 0.001) and HFimpEF constituted one of independent predictors of MACCE (HR = 0.84, 95% CI: 0.76–0.93). Conversely, in non-HF population patients with LVEF improvement had higher MACCE occurrence than patients with stable LVEF and lower than deteriorating LVEF (6.97%/year vs. 5.72%/year vs. 14.55%/year respectively; log-rank p = 0.001 and p < 0.001).

Temporal increase of LVEF corresponds with improved survival in patients with HF but not among non-HF patients.