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. 2024 Jun 1:190:112412.
doi: 10.1016/j.exger.2024.112412. Epub 2024 Apr 6.

Relationship between quadriceps femoris echotexture biomarkers and muscle strength and physical function in older adults with heart failure with preserved ejection fraction

Iván José Fuentes-Abolafio  1 , Michele Ricci  2 , María Rosa Bernal-López  3 , Ricardo Gómez-Huelgas  3 , Antonio Ignacio Cuesta-Vargas  4 , Luis Miguel Pérez-Belmonte  5
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Free article

Relationship between quadriceps femoris echotexture biomarkers and muscle strength and physical function in older adults with heart failure with preserved ejection fraction

Iván José Fuentes-Abolafio et al. Exp Gerontol. .
Free article

Abstract

Background: Muscle wasting is pronounced in patients with heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF). The quadriceps femoris echotexture biomarkers assessed by ultrasound (US) have not been studied in these patients.

Objective: To describe echotexture biomarkers assessed by the US and to assess their relationship with sex, age, body mass index (BMI), self-reported outcomes, muscle strength and physical function in older adults with HFpEF.

Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted. Patients 70 years and older with HFpEF were included. The sex, age, BMI, and self-reported outcomes were collected. The US assessed muscle and subcutaneous fat tissue contrast, correlation, energy, homogeneity, and entropy at rest and maximal voluntary isometrical contraction (MVIC). The six-minute walk test (6MWT), the short physical performance battery (SPPB), the timed up and go test (TUG), the usual pace gait speed test (UGS), and the fast pace gait speed test (FGS) were used to assess physical function. The five-repetitions sit-to-stand test (5-STS) was performed to assess muscle strength. Bivariant Pearson correlations and subsequent multivariate linear regression analyses were conducted.

Results: Seventy-two older adults with HFpEF [81.06 years, 29.13 BMI, and 55.60% females] were recruited. In women, relaxed and MVIC muscle energy and entropy explained 35.40% of the TUG variance; relaxed muscle entropy and MVIC muscle energy shared 24.00% of the UGS variance; relaxed and MVIC muscle entropy, MVIC muscle contrast and MVIC muscle energy explained 32.60% of the FGS variance, adjusted all the models by age and BMI.

Conclusions: Echotexture biomarkers are related to women's muscle strength and physical function, especially muscle energy, contrast, and entropy. Echotexture biomarkers assessed by the US could facilitate the management of older adults with HFpEF, monitor its progression and assess the effectiveness of treatments on the musculoskeletal structure.

Trial registration: NCT03909919. April 10, 2019. Retrospectively registered.

Keywords: Echotexture biomarkers; Heart failure with preserved ejection fraction; Muscle strength; Older adults; Physical function.

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Conflict of interest statement

Declaration of competing interest The authors certify that they have no affiliations with or financial involvement in any organization or entity with a direct financial interest in the subject matter or materials discussed in the article. Authors, their immediate family, and any research foundation with which they are affiliated have not received any financial payments or other benefits from any commercial entity related to the subject of this article.

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