Andrew Burger

We previously reported that researchers were likely to foresee the effectiveness of kidney transplants. Short-term weakening of the kidney function is common among patients with heart failure; these findings were revealed by UC Health cardiologists. However these patients, the experts suggest have improved outcomes as compared to those who have continual kidney failure.

They study may pave a path towards efficient interventions and treatment for patients affected with heart failure who often face kidney problems or failure as well. Experts included 467 patients affected with acute heart failure and their creatinine measurements on days particularly 2, 5, 14 and 30 was noted.

Andrew Burger, MD, UC Health cardiologist and co-investigator in the study shares, “Worsening renal function is a warning complication in patients with acute heart failure syndrome. Between 30 and 50 percent of patients hospitalized for acute heart failure have further worsening of renal function during hospitalization, but there is very little data available about the clinical implication of transient versus persistent worsening of renal function in this setting.”

He further quotes, “This study is the first of its kind to look at this relationship to help physicians assess outcomes and possibly determine the most efficient way to treat heart patients who develop kidney failure at any degree.”

A product of creatine phosphate in the muscle and brain is known as creatinine. The kidneys often filter creatinine out of the blood. Blood levels augment and creatinine levels in blood and urine are used to evaluate kidney function. This often occurs if filtering of the kidney is deficient.

Burger shares, “The patients with no change in renal function and transient dysfunction have the same outcome, while patients with persistent renal dysfunction are more like to die. Chronic heart failure encompasses an important interaction between the heart and the kidneys, and renal dysfunction often accompanies heart failure.”

Defective renal function among 39 patients was considered to be momentary. Experts identified death among 17.3 percent of patients without worsening renal function. They also observed 20.5 percent of patients with transitory worsening dysfunction and 46.1 percent of patients with continual renal dysfunction.

Burger reveals, “These findings give cardiologists some insight into the degree of renal dysfunction and its association with mortality in both stable and acute heart failure syndrome. Hopefully, these results will lead to further studies that may help in determining better interventions and outcomes for patients with acute heart failure.”

Deterioration of the renal function was observed when serum creatinine remained higher than 0.5 mg/dL above baseline till day 30 and momentary when high creatinine levels lowered to less than 0.5 mg/dL above baseline within 30-day period.

These findings were published in the July 2010 edition of the Journal of Cardiac Failure.