Low levels of low-density lipoprotein cholesterol: A negative predictor of survival in elderly patients with advanced heart failure

Gideon Charach, Alexander Rabinovich, Argov Ori, Dov Weksler, David Sheps, Lior Charach, Moshe Weintraub, Jacob George

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

23 Scopus citations

Abstract

Objectives: There are conflicting reports on the role of cholesterol as an adverse prognostic predictor in patients with heart failure (HF). This study aimed to examine the impact of low levels of low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-c) on cardiac mortality in a cohort of elderly patients with moderate and severe HF. Methods: Chronic HF patients from the HF Unit at the Tel-Aviv Medical Center (n = 212, 77% males) with an average NYHA classification of 2.8, a mean age of 76.9 ± 7.3 years (range 66-91) and a mean follow-up of 3.7 years were consecutively enrolled. The cohort was divided into tertiles according to LDL-c levels: LDL <90 mg/dl (group 1), LDL 90-115 mg/dl (group 2) and LDL >115 mg/dl (group 3). Results: The Cox regression analysis revealed that group 3 patients had the best outcome (p = 0.01 vs. groups 2 and 3), with 58% of them surviving longer than 50 months compared to 34% in group 1. The same trend was seen in the group of patients suffering from ischemic cardiomyopathy and in patients who were treated by statins (p = 0.04). Conclusion: Low LDL-c levels are associated with a reduced survival in elderly patients with clinically controlled moderate and severe HF.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)45-50
Number of pages6
JournalCardiology
Volume127
Issue number1
DOIs
StatePublished - Dec 2013
Externally publishedYes

Keywords

  • Cholesterol
  • Heart failure
  • Low-density lipoprotein

Fingerprint

Dive into the research topics of 'Low levels of low-density lipoprotein cholesterol: A negative predictor of survival in elderly patients with advanced heart failure'. Together they form a unique fingerprint.

Cite this