Impaired First-Phase Ejection Fraction Tied to COVID-19 Mortality

MONDAY, May 10, 2021 (HealthDay News) — Impaired first-phase ejection fraction (EF1), which is a measure of preclinical heart failure, is associated with mortality in patients hospitalized with COVID-19, according to a study published online May 10 in Hypertension.

Haotian Gu, Ph.D., from the British Heart Foundation Centre at King’s College London, and colleagues conducted a retrospective outcome study in patients hospitalized with COVID-19 in Wuhan, China, and in London who underwent echocardiography. EF1 was compared for 380 patients with COVID-19 and 266 historical controls with similar comorbidities who had undergone echocardiography before COVID-19.

The researchers found that in both patient groups (Wuhan and London), EF1 was a strong predictor of survival for patients with COVID-19. EF1 was a stronger predictor of survival in the combined group than other clinical, laboratory, and echocardiographic characteristics, including age, comorbidities, and biochemical markers. A cutoff value of 25 percent for EF1 gave a hazard ratio of 5.23 and 4.83 in an unadjusted analysis and after adjustment for demographics, comorbidities, high-sensitivity cardiac troponin, and C-reactive protein. After adjustment for the prevalence of risk factors and comorbidities, EF1 was similar in patients with and without COVID-19.

“Patients with impaired first-phase ejection fraction could be prioritized for vaccines and, if they get COVID-19, monitored closely at the early stages of their illness to prevent deterioration,” a coauthor said in a statement.

Two authors are named on a patent application for first-phase ejection fraction.

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