This retrospective study included 405 heart failure patients. Anthropometric, body composition, clinical, biochemical, and echocardiographic data were collected from all patients. Patients were classified as: underweight (<20?kg/m2), normal (20?4.9?kg/m2), overweight (25?9.9?kg/m2), and obese (?0?kg/m2). The endpoints were all-cause and cardiovascular mortality.
Cox regression analysis on all-cause mortality showed that normal weight patients were at significantly lower risk of death [RR?=?0.231 (CI95 % 0.085?.627)] as compared with obese patients, while underweight and overweight categories did not show a significantly different risk compared with the reference category. Age, gender, ejection fraction, systolic heart failure, angiotensin II receptor blockers use, hemoglobin levels, and handgrip strength were independent predictors of all-cause mortality. Cardiovascular deaths showed the same trend.
A lower body mass index does not predict all-cause and cardiovascular mortality among chronic heart failure patients, independently of other nutritional, body composition, and clinical status parameters.