Perioperative Hypoalbuminemia Affects Improvement in Exercise Tolerance After Left Ventricular Assist Device Implantation

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1 1970 IMAMURA T et al. Circulation Journal ORIGINAL ARTICLE Official Journal of the Japanese Circulation Society Cardiovascular Surgery Perioperative Hypoalbuminemia Affects Improvement in Exercise Tolerance After Left Ventricular Assist Device Implantation Teruhiko Imamura, MD, PhD; Koichiro Kinugawa, MD, PhD; Daisuke Nitta, MD; Masaru Hatano, MD; Osamu Kinoshita, MD, PhD; Kan Nawata, MD, PhD; Minoru Ono, MD, PhD Background: Although survival rates have improved for patients receiving implantable continuous flow left ventricular assist devices (I-CF LVAD), postoperative exercise tolerance levels are not necessarily satisfactory. Methods and Results: We enrolled 51 patients who had received an I-CF LVAD and underwent follow-up between 2006 and 2014; all patients underwent cardiopulmonary exercise testing 3 months following surgery: 26 (51%) patients achieved peak oxygen consumption (PV O2) 14 ml kg 1 min 1 and had significantly lower readmission rates for cardiovascular events than those with PV O2 <14 ml kg 1 min 1 during 2 years of LVAD treatment (17 vs. 43%, P=0.033). Uni- and multivariate logistic regression analyses showed that the preoperative serum albumin (S-ALB) level was an independent predictor for PV O2 14 ml kg 1 min 1 at 3 months (P=0.023, odds ratio 6.132). Patients with persistently normal S-ALB levels during the perioperative period had the lowest preoperative serum C-reactive protein level (S-CRP, 0.7±0.9 mg/dl), and the majority (77%) showed improved exercise tolerance. Conversely, patients with persistently low S-ALB levels during this period had the highest preoperative S-CRP level (2.8±1.2 mg/dl) and did not achieve the test endpoint. Conclusions: Both pre- and postoperative low S-ALB impedes recovery of exercise tolerance after I-CF LVAD surgery, and this may be attributable to inflammatory responses caused by heart failure. (Circ J 2015; 79: ) Key Words: Cardiopulmonary exercise testing; INTERMACS; Peak oxygen consumption; Ventricular assist devices Survival rates for patients receiving a left ventricular assist device (LVAD) have improved owing to the development of implantable continuous flow (I-CF) LVADs and the introduction of sophisticated perioperative management protocols. 1 4 However, exercise tolerance does not always improve following LVAD therapy 5,6 and impaired exercise capacity is problematic, especially when long-term LVAD treatment is considered. Therefore, the next challenge is to improve post-lvad exercise capacity to better the quality of life for patients. Hypoalbuminemia is often associated with advanced heart failure (HF), 7 and the preoperative serum albumin (S-ALB) level is a well-known predictor of survival in patients receiving LVAD therapy. 8,9 Low S-ALB level is associated with skeletal muscle abnormalities and results in exercise intolerance. 10 Therefore, in the present study, we analyzed the prognostic effect of S-ALB level in relation to post-lvad exercise tolerance. Methods Patient Selection Between 2008 and 2015, 51 patients received an I-CF LVAD (21 EVAHEART; 12 DuraHeart; 12 HeartMate II; 6 Jarvik 2000) and underwent follow-up. All participants were assigned to INTERMACS profile 2 4 regardless of guideline-directed medical treatment, 1 and did not present any contraindications for heart transplant at the time of LVAD implantation. None of the patients had received extracorporeal membrane oxygenation, and those receiving prophylactic intra-aortic balloon pump support were assigned to profile 2. 8 Patients with hemodynamic decline alongside worsening of end-organ function were also assigned to profile 2. None of the patients suffered from significant infection before LVAD implantation. Written informed consent was given by all patients before surgery. The study protocol was approved by the Ethics Committee of the Graduate School of Medicine, University of Tokyo (Japan). Received April 13, 2015; revised manuscript received May 8, 2015; accepted May 13, 2015; released online May 28, 2015 Time for primary review: 23 days Department of Therapeutic Strategy for Heart Failure (T.I., K.K.), Department of Cardiovascular Medicine (D.N., M.H.), Department of Cardiac Surgery (O.K., K.N., M.O.), Graduate School of Medicine, University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan Mailing address: Koichiro Kinugawa, MD, PhD, Department of Therapeutic Strategy for Heart Failure, Graduate School of Medicine, University of Tokyo, Hongo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo , Japan. kinugawa-tky@umin.ac.jp ISSN doi: /circj.CJ All rights are reserved to the Japanese Circulation Society. For permissions, please cj@j-circ.or.jp

2 Hypoalbuminemia and Post-LVAD PV O Following surgery, the rotation speed was adjusted after consideration of hemodynamics and the results of routine echocardiography. 11 Evaluated Outcomes Preoperative characteristics, including demographics and laboratory variables, were obtained 24 h before surgery. Hemodynamic and echocardiographic variables were obtained 1 week prior to surgery. Approximately 1 month after LVAD implantation, the S-ALB and serum C-reactive protein (S-CRP) levels were measured again. None of the patients showed significant bacterial infection, as assessed by procalcitonin levels, at the time of measurement of S-ALB or S-CRP. All patients underwent a hemodynamic study 3 months after surgery, and symptomlimited cardiopulmonary exercise testing 3 months after surgery. The test endpoint was peak oxygen consumption (PV O2) 14 ml kg 1 min 1. Statistical Analysis Statistical analyses were carried out using SPSS Statistics 22 (SPSS Inc, Chicago, IL, USA). The statistical tests used were 2-tailed, and P<0.05 was considered statistically significant. All data are expressed as mean ± SD. Continuous variables were compared using unpaired t-tests or Mann-Whitney U tests, and categorical variables were compared using Chi-square tests or Fischer s exact tests. A Kaplan-Meier analysis was performed to assess the readmission rate for cardiovascular events (including worsening of HF and cerebral thromboembolism). Receiver-operating characteristics analyses were performed to find the cutoff values of S-ALB and the area under curve (AUC) for the exercise test endpoint. Uni- and multivariate logistic regression analyses were performed to determine predictors of the exercise test endpoint among the preoperative variables. Multicollinearity was assessed using variance inflation factors (VIF). Pearson s correlation coefficient was determined between S-ALB and other preoperative variables. The S-CRP levels among 4 groups stratified by pre- and postoperative S-ALB levels were compared with Tukey s test when analyses of variances showed statistical significance. S-CRP levels before and after LVAD implantation were compared using paired t-tests. Results Prognosis During 2-Year LVAD Treatment Patients with PV O2 14 ml kg 1 min 1 had significantly lower readmission rates related to cardiovascular events (Figure 1) than those with PV O2 <14 ml kg 1 min 1 during the 2-year LVAD treatment. Preoperative Baseline Characteristics Among the patients with an I-CF LVAD (41±13 years; 42 men), 26 (51%) reached PV O2 14 ml kg 1 min 1 in the exercise test performed 3 months following surgery. Patients with improved exercise capacity were younger, had fewer comorbidities as characterized by their INTERMACS profile, and had higher S-ALB levels preoperatively (Table 1, P<0.05 for all comparisons). Predictors of Improvement of Post-LVAD Exercise Tolerance Among the preoperative variables, S-ALB was an independent predictor of improved post-lvad exercise capacity in the multivariate logistic regression analysis (Table 2; P=0.023, Figure 1. Readmission-free rates during 2-year left ventricular assist device treatment stratified by peak oxygen consumption (PV O2) values. *P<0.05 with the log-rank test. odds ratio 6.132). The cutoff value for reaching the exercise test endpoint was 3.5 g/dl (AUC 0.722, sensitivity 0.846, and specificity, 0.560). Correlation Between S-ALB and Other Preoperative Variables Among the preoperative variables, S-CRP was significantly negatively associated with S-ALB (Table 3; P<0.001, r= 0.605). There were no other significant associations between the preoperative variables and S-ALB. Perioperative Changes in S-ALB and S-CRP At 5 weeks after LVAD implantation, pulmonary capillary wedge pressure decreased significantly (down to 8 mmhg, P<0.001 compared with preoperative values), and the cardiac index increased significantly (up to 2.5 L min 1 m 2, P<0.001 compared with preoperative values). Postoperative S-ALB at 1 month was also a significant predictor of improved exercise tolerance in logistic regression analysis (P<0.001, odds ratio 80.19). The cutoff value of postoperative S-ALB was 3.2 g/dl (AUC 0.846, sensitivity 0.846, and specificity 0.760). Scattered plots of pre/postoperative S-ALB are shown in Figure 2A. Patients were stratified into 4 groups according to the cutoff values of pre- and postoperative S-ALB (Figure 2B): L-L group, persistently low S-ALB; L-N group, low S-ALB preoperative and normal S-ALB postoperative; N-N group, persistently normal S-ALB; and N-L group, preoperative normal S-ALB and low S-ALB postoperative. Of the patients in the L-N group, 43% experienced improved exercise capacity, whereas none of the patients in the L-L group achieved the exercise test endpoint. Pre/postoperative levels of S-CRP in the 4 groups are shown in Table 4. Patients in the L-L group showed the highest S-CRP, whereas patients in the N-N group showed the lowest S-CRP. S-CRP did not change following LVAD implantation in all 4 groups, although there was a trend towards increasing levels in the N-L group (P=0.108).

3 1972 IMAMURA T et al. Table 1. Preoperative Baseline Variables in Patients Stratified by Postoperative Exercise Tolerance Preoperative variables Total (n=51) PV O2 14 ml kg 1 min 1 (n=26) PV O2 <14 ml kg 1 min 1 (n=25) P value Demographics Age, years 41±13 37±14 43± * Male, n (%) 42 (82) 21 (81) 21 (84) BMI 20.6± ± ± Etiology of ischemia, n (%) 2 (4) 1 (4) 1 (4) HF duration, 10 2 days 24.3± ± ± INTERMACS profile Profile 2, n (%) 22 (43) 7 (27) 15 (60) Profile 3, n (%) 27 (53) 19 (73) 8 (32) Profile 4, n (%) 2 (4) 0 (0) 2 (8) Device type Centrifugal, n (%) 33 (65) 18 (69) 15 (60) Axial, n (%) 18 (35) 8 (31) 10 (40) Laboratory data Hemoglobin, g/dl 11.9± ± ± S-ALB, g/dl 3.7± ± ± * Serum total bilirubin, mg/dl 1.5± ± ± Serum creatinine, mg/dl 1.1± ± ± Plasma BNP, pg/ml 808± ± ± S-CRP, mg/dl 1.3± ± ± Echocardiography LVDd, mm 75±14 73±12 77± LVEF, % 19±9 18±8 20± Hemodynamics sbp, mmhg 87±14 88±13 85± HR, beats/min 83±15 83±15 83± mrap, mmhg 9±4 8±4 9± PCWP, mmhg 22±8 23±9 22± Cardiac index, L min 1 m 2 2.0± ± ± RVSWI, g/m 7.3± ± ± *P<0.05 by unpaired t-test, P<0.05 by Chi-square test. BMI, body mass index; BNP, B-type natriuretic peptide; HR, heart rate; LVDd, left ventricular diastolic diameter; LVEF, left ventricular ejection fraction; mrap, mean right atrial pressure; PCWP, pulmonary capillary wedge pressure; RVSWI, right ventricular stroke work index; sbp, systolic blood pressure; S-ALB, serum albumin; S-CRP, serum C-reactive protein. Table 2. Logistic Regression Analyses for Improvement of Post-LVAD Exercise Tolerance Among Preoperative Variables Preoperative variables Univariate Multivariate P value OR (95% CI) P value OR (95% CI) VIF Age, years 0.021* ( ) ( ) INTERMACS Profile 0.048* ( ) ( ) S-ALB, g/dl 0.010* ( ) 0.023* ( ) *P<0.05 by logistic regression analyses. CI, confidence interval; OR, odds ratio; LVAD, left ventricular assist device; VIF, variance inflation factors. Other abbreviations as in Table 1. Discussion Our study showed that the preoperative S-ALB level was an independent predictor of better exercise performance at 3 months following LVAD implantation. Preservation or restoration of S-ALB levels was important in improving exercise tolerance after LVAD implantation. A lower S-ALB level was accompanied by elevated S-CRP level in most patients during the perioperative period. Endpoint of the Present Study PV O2 <14 ml kg 1 min 1 is a well-known prognostic predictor in patients with HF. 12 Consistently, patients in the present study with PV O2 <14 ml kg 1 min 1 during LVAD treatment experienced higher readmission rates for cardiovascular events, including worsening of HF or cerebral thromboembolism. Exercise intolerance after LVAD implantation is usually associated with LVAD-specific complications, such as chronic right ventricular failure (RVF) and aortic insufficiency. 11,13 Increased left or right ventricular pressure and enhanced thrombus

4 Hypoalbuminemia and Post-LVAD PV O formation around the aortic valve because of such complications may lead to cardiovascular events. We assessed exercise capacity at 3 months, because such a short-term endpoint should not have been affected by various postoperative factors, such as postoperative cardiac rehabilitation or LVAD-related complications. Low Preoperative S-ALB and Cardiac Cachexia Hypoalbuminemia is often associated with advanced HF. 7 Low preoperative S-ALB may indicate malnutrition, which facilitates dissimilation of skeletal muscle with a consequent reduction of exercise tolerance. 14 LVAD candidates often suffer from long-term HF before surgery, with restricted daily activity and decreased peripheral perfusion, which also enhances atrophy of skeletal muscle from disuse syndrome. 15 Atrophic skeletal muscle increases consumption of S-ALB, which results in a decrease in the S-ALB level. 16,17 Under such circumstances, PV O2 is significantly reduced by skeletal muscle dysfunction. 18 Chronic inflammation, which is often present in patients with decompensated HF, can be another cause of low S-ALB, because it represses hepatic synthesis of ALB. 19 In our study, we observed that higher S-CRP was significantly associated with lower S-ALB prior to LVAD implantation. Overall, preoperative hypoalbuminemia may be consistent with the syndrome of cardiac cachexia. In fact, a preoperative lower S-ALB was significantly associated with lower PV O2 obtained in the 19 patients who could perform the cardiopulmonary exercise test prior to the surgery for LVAD implantation (P=0.010, r=0.576). Perioperative Changes in S-ALB and Chronic Inflammation Hypoalbuminemia occasionally persists for several months following LVAD implantation, irrespective of hemodynamic stabilization. 20 Caruso et al have shown that inflammatory Table 3. Correlation Between S-ALB Level and Other Preoperative Variables in Patients With LVAD P value R Demographic variables Age, years BMI HF duration, 10 2 days Laboratory variables Hemoglobin, g/dl Serum total bilirubin, mg/dl Serum creatinine, mg/dl Plasma BNP, pg/ml S-CRP, mg/dl <0.001* Echocardiographic variables LVDd, mm LVEF, % Hemodynamic variables sbp, mmhg HR, beats/min mrap, mmhg PCWP, mmhg Cardiac index, L min 1 m *P<0.05 by Pearson s correlation coefficient. Abbreviations as in Tables 1,2. activation, together with oxidative stress, does not necessarily resolve in the early phase of hemodynamic recovery and LV unloading after LVAD implantation. 21 Highly active inflammation, indicated by elevated preoperative S-CRP levels, may have been prolonged after LVAD implantation in the L-L Figure 2. Scatter plots of pre- and postoperative serum albumin (S-ALB) levels (A) and stratification analysis by S-ALB (B). In (A), red circles represent patients with PV O2 14 ml kg 1 min 1 at 3 months. *P<0.05 (Pearson s correlation coefficient). (B) Percentage of patients with PV O2 14 ml kg 1 min 1 is shown in each of 4 groups stratified by cutoff values of pre- and postoperative S-ALB.

5 1974 IMAMURA T et al. Table 4. Comparison of Perioperative S-CRP Among Patients With LVAD Groups according to cutoff values of pre- and postoperative S-ALB L-L group (n=6) L-N group (n=7) P vs. L-L N-L group (n=12) P vs. L-L N-N group (n=26) P vs. L-L Pre-op S-CRP, mg/dl 2.8± ± * 1.3± * 0.7± * Post-op S-CRP, mg/dl 2.3± ± * 1.6± ± * P vs. Pre-op S-CRP *P<0.05 by Dunnet s test when analysis of variance approved significance. Abbreviations as in Tables 1,2. group, and continue to repress the recovery of hypoalbuminemia. However, Vega et al reported that hypoalbuminemia can be normalized after LVAD implantation because of improvement in hemodynamics. 22 We observed a significant recovery of S-ALB in approximately half of the patients who had low preoperative S-ALB (L-N group). In the L-N group, the preoperative S-CRP levels were relatively low compared with the patients in the L-L group, which may suggest they had less severe inflammation. Hepatic synthesis of S-ALB can be recovered by amelioration of congestion and successful suppression of inflammatory responses. Therefore, the exercise capacity was likely to improve after LVAD implantation in those patients (3/7=43%). The post-lvad PV O2 in the L-N group was consistently higher compared with the L-L group (15.2 vs L min 1 kg 1, P=0.035). The S-ALB level decreased in a considerable number of patients with normal preoperative S-ALB (N-L group). Patients in this group were less likely to achieve successful recovery of exercise tolerance (3/12=25%). Furthermore, patients in this group showed a trend towards increasing S-CRP levels even after LVAD implantation. Postoperative RVF, which is sometimes observed after LVAD implantation, may activate inflammatory responses that in turn decrease S-ALB, accompanied by decreased exercise tolerance. 19 We previously defined postoperative RVF after LVAD implantation, which was observed in 38% of patients in the previous study, as an RV stroke work index <4.0 g/m 2, at any rotation speed, at 5 weeks. 11 Overall, in the present study, 17 patients (33%) with postoperative RVF had higher postoperative S-CRP compared with the 34 without RVF (1.6±1.4 mg/dl vs. 0.7±0.6 mg/dl, P=0.032); and 7 in 12 patients (58%) in the N-L group suffered RVF. Congestion indicated by higher right atrial pressure was consistently associated with hypoalbuminemia (P=0.003, r= 0.405). Patients with postoperative RVF had decreased PV O2 compared with those without RVF (11.6 vs L min 1 kg 1, P=0.001). Patients with less severe inflammation showed normal S-ALB levels before and after LVAD implantation (N-N group), and the majority (77%) showed improvement in exercise tolerance. Patients with these characteristics would be good candidates for LVAD therapy aimed at better exercise tolerance and prognosis. These patients were less sick and presented better hemodynamics before LVAD therapy (ie, mostly INTERMACS profile 3), and preventing end-organ dysfunction may be key to obtaining such a favorable result. Taking into consideration our results, hypoalbuminemia may be a marker for severity of HF, especially in terms of inflammatory response. Early LVAD implantation, before progression of hypoalbuminemia, would be a good strategy to improve post-lvad exercise tolerance and prognosis, even though postoperative RVF may predispose to sustained inflammation, hypoalbuminemia, and impaired exercise tolerance. Study Limitations First, the present study was retrospective with small patient numbers from a single center. Our data should be confirmed in a prospective larger-scale study. Particularly, a precise nutrition assessment and prophylactic aggressive intervention prior to LVAD implantation may improve postoperative exercise tolerance. 15 Second, patients assigned to INTERMACS profile 1 were not enrolled in the present study because such a population is not allowed to receive an I-CF LVAD in Japan. 23 Similarly, those aged over 65 years were not enrolled, 23 and the conclusions may not be applicable in this population. Third, we assessed exercise tolerance at 3 months following surgery because we were focused on perioperative predictors. Exercise capacity during years of LVAD treatment may be affected by various postoperative events or interventions such as aggressive cardiac rehabilitation. Forth, we have used PV O2 to assess the patients exercise tolerance. A more detailed assessment of exercise tolerance using questionnaires may be useful to understand patients daily activities in the real world. Fifth, we used S-CRP as a marker of systemic inflammatory responses. Measurement of other biomarkers, including interleukin-6 or tumor necrosis factor-α, may add further insights. Conclusions Early implantation of an I-CF LVAD before the development of hypoalbuminemia is a key factor in improving exercise tolerance post-lvad surgery. None. Disclosures References 1. Kinugawa K. How to treat stage D heart failure?: When to implant left ventricular assist devices in the era of continuous flow pumps? Circ J 2011; 75: Imamura T, Kinugawa K, Hatano M, Fujino T, Inaba T, Maki H, et al. Low cardiac output stimulates vasopressin release in patients with stage D heart failure. Circ J 2014; 78: Kirklin JK, Naftel DC, Pagani FD, Kormos RL, Stevenson LW, Blume ED, et al. Sixth INTERMACS annual report: A 10,000-patient database. 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