Self-assessment of health status is associated with inflammatory activation and predicts long-term outcomes in chronic heart failure

Clinicians lack a generally accepted means for health status assessment in chronic heart failure (CHF). We investigated the correlation between health status and inflammation burden as well as its long-term prognostic value in CHF outpatients. Kansas City Cardiomyopathy Questionnaires (KCCQ) were completed by 137 CHF outpatients (aged 64 +/- 12 years, mean ejection fraction 27 +/- 7%). Inflammatory markers [interleukin (IL)-6, IL-10, TNF-alpha, soluble Fas, Fas ligand, ICAM-1, VCAM-1], plasma B-type natriuretic peptide (BNP), 6 min walk test (6MWT), Zung self-rating depression scale, and Beck Depression Inventory were also assessed. Patients were followed for major cardiovascular events (death or hospitalization for disease progression) for up to 250 days. Patients with worse KCCQ-summary (KCCQ-s < 50) score had lower 6MWT (P < 0.05), and higher BNP (P < 0.05) and pro-inflammatory markers (P < 0.05) than those with KCCQ-s >= 50. Worse health status was also associated with shorter event-free survival (115 +/- 12 days for KCCQ-s < 50 vs. 214 +/- 15 days for KCCQ-s >= 50, P = 0.0179). Separating patients according KCCQ-functional score (KCCQ-f, cut-off 50) showed similar results. In multivariate Cox regression analysis, only LVEF (HR = 0.637, 95% CI 0.450-0.900, P = 0.011) and KCCQ-f (HR = 0.035, 95% CI 0.002-0.824, P = 0.037) were independent predictors of event-free survival at 250 days. KCCQ-s reflects neurohormonal and inflammatory burden in CHF. Among studied questionnaires, only KCCQ-f is an independent predictor of long-term event-free survival in CHF.