Candidate biomarkers of physical frailty in heart failure: an exploratory cross-sectional study.
Quin E Denfeld, Jonathan Q Purnell, Christopher S Lee and 7 others
PMID 35727092WHAT IT FOUND
Plasma IGF-1, adiponectin, and myostatin were lower in adults with heart failure who were physically frail.
Other tested markers did not show these associations, and the findings are preliminary.
Key findings
01Plasma IGF-1 was lower among physically frail adults with heart failure than among non-physically frail adults (median 67.9 ng/mL vs 95.4 ng/mL).
02Plasma myostatin was lower among physically frail adults with heart failure than among non-physically frail adults (median 2123 pg/mL vs 2890 pg/mL).
03After adjustment for projected survival, comorbidities, and sex, adiponectin, IGF-1, and myostatin remained lower in physically frail adults, while other biomarkers did not differ.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for PTs
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What it does not show
The sample came from one academic medical center in the Pacific Northwest, was relatively young, and was racially homogenous, so it may not represent all adults with heart failure. Most participants had non-ischemic heart failure with reduced ejection fraction, so the results may not apply to all heart failure types. The study was cross-sectional, so it cannot show whether biomarker differences cause frailty or result from it. The analysis was exploratory and may have been underpowered, especially for sex differences. There was no non-heart failure control group, so some biomarker differences may reflect heart failure rather than frailty. Dual energy x-ray absorptiometry has limitations for quantifying lean mass, which may have affected adjusted models.
Declared interests
The supplied text does not include a conflict-of-interest or funding declaration. The publication types list NIH extramural research support and non-U.S. government research support.
The easy way to misread this
Do not treat lower IGF-1, adiponectin, or myostatin as proof that these markers cause frailty or can guide heart failure care. The study is cross-sectional and exploratory, and it did not show that biomarker testing is ready for clinical use.