Clinical characteristics, risk factors, and thyroid profile of patients admitted with acute left ventricular heart failure from a tertiary hospital in Northeast India

Abstract

Introduction: Heart failure (HF) is a progressive chronic clinical syndrome. Thyroid dysfunction in HF patients has been reported in the literature. We aimed to explore the prevalence of thyroid dysfunction among acute left ventricular failure (LVF) patients admitted to our hospital. Materials and Methods: A retrospective study involving 78 patients diagnosed with acute LVF was conducted. Baseline information that included demographics, risk factors, clinical presentations, and biochemical data was recorded. A comparison of acute LVF patients with thyroid dysfunction to those with normal thyroid function was analyzed and documented. Results: About 29.5% (n = 23; 63.8 ± 11.4 years) of patients had normal thyroid function and 70.5% (n = 55; 65.3 ± 6 years) had thyroid dysfunction (P = 0.0003). The mean age of the cohort was 64.7 ± 12.4 years and 68% (n = 53) were men. Hypertension was the most common risk factor among both groups (56.5%, n = 13 vs. 67.3%, n = 37; P = 0.0006). Around 13% (n = 3) of patients with normal thyroid function and 20% (n = 11) of patients with thyroid dysfunction expired (P = 0.0325). The most common symptom seen in both groups was shortness of breath (28%, n = 16 vs. 72%, n = 41; P = 0009). There was a high prevalence of HF with reduced ejection fraction (60.8%, n = 14 vs. 65.5%, n = 36; P = 0.0018). Electrocardiography abnormalities were noted in 70.5% (n = 55) of patients of the cohort (65.2%, n = 15 vs. 72.7%, n = 40; P = 0.007). Irregularities in two-dimensional echocardiography and Doppler were seen in 76.5% (n = 59) of patients (69.6%, n = 16 vs. 78.2%, n = 43; P = 0.0004). Conclusions: Thyroid dysfunction can cause significant adverse effects on the heart. Early diagnosis and treatment of thyroid abnormalities can reduce and/or prevent the development of serious cardiac problems including HF.