Health-related quality of life in acute heart failure: association between patient-reported symptoms and markers of congestion

AIMS: The aim of this study was to examine the association between patient-reported symptoms and the extent of pulmonary congestion in acute heart failure (AHF). METHODS AND RESULTS: In this prospective, observational study, patient-reported symptoms were assessed at baseline using the Kansas City Cardiomyopathy Questionnaire total symptom score (KCCQ-TSS) (range 0–100; 0 worst) in patients hospitalized for AHF. In a subset, patient-reported dyspnoea at rest and on exertion was examined (range 0–10; 10 worst) at baseline. In addition, 4-zone lung ultrasound (LUS) was performed at baseline at the time of echocardiography. B-lines were quantified offline, blinded to clinical findings, by a core laboratory. Chest X-ray (CXR) and physical examination findings were collected from the medical records. Among 322 patients (mean age 72, 60% men, mean left ventricular ejection fraction 39%) with AHF, the median KCCQ-TSS score was 33 (interquartile range 18–48). Worse KCCQ-TSS was associated with worse New York Heart Association class, dyspnoea at rest and on exertion, and peripheral oedema (p trend 0.25 for all). Similarly, KCCQ-TSS was not significantly associated with echocardiographic markers of left ventricular filling pressure, pulmonary pressure or with N-terminal pro-B-type natriuretic peptide level. CONCLUSIONS: Among patients hospitalized for AHF, at baseline, KCCQ-TSS was not associated with pulmonary congestion assessed by LUS, CXR, or physical examination. These findings suggest that the profound reduction in KCCQ-TSS in patients with AHF may not be solely explained by pulmonary congestion.