Background: Body wasting is a clinical feature of a variety of chronic illnesses including congestive heart failure. The wasting associated with chronic congestive heart failure (cardiac cachexia) has recently been shown to portend a worse prognosis, and it is an independent predictor of mortality. The mechanisms underlying cardiac cachexia are multi-factorial, including metabolic, nutritional, neuroendocrine and immunological aberrations. There is, however, no direct evidence that current medical treatment reverses cachexia in chronic heart failure.
Methods: The effect of enalapril, digoxin and frusemide combination on clinical, biochemical and anthropometric indices were determined in eight cachectic Nigerians with chronic congestive heart failure [body mass index (BMI) 20.80+/-2.7 kg/m(2), left ventricular ejection fraction 29+/-4% and LV mass index 161+37 g/m(2)] at baseline, and again after 3 and 6 months of therapy. Ten age- and sex-matched healthy volunteers whose anthropometric data were concurrently measured served as controls.
Results: The anthropometric and clinical measurements were significantly (P<0.001) reduced in heart failure compared to the healthy controls. Congestive hepatomegaly significantly regressed from 161+/-20 mm to 123+/-13 mm after 6 months therapy (P<0.001 ANOVA). There was a significant increase in the sum of four skin fold thickness from 27.6+/-3.3 mm to 30.1+/-3.9 mm at 6 months (P<0.001 ANOVA) 95% confidence intervals for the difference being 1.42 to 3.4 mm. There was a significant increase in the mid-upper arm circumference (P<0.001 ANOVA) with a 95% confidence interval of 0.87-2.1 cm, and a similar trend for increased mid-thigh circumference (95% confidence limits 0.93-5.30 cm) was apparent. Plasma albumin and sodium increased significantly (P<0.05) from 30.1+/-3.8 g/l and 136+/-5.9 mmol/l to 32.9+/-2.5 g/l and 139+/-3.9 mmol/l, respectively. There was a positive and significant correlation between the treatment induced increases in plasma albumin and the increase in mid-upper arm circumference (y=0.25x+0.8, r=0.76, P=0.03 ANOVA) but not with the change in skin fold thickness.
Conclusion: The preliminary results demonstrate increased subcutaneous fat (increased skin fold thickness), greater muscle bulk (increased mid-upper arm and thigh circumferences) together with a significant elevation in plasma albumin and the hematocrit, which reflect the anabolic state in patients treated with ACE inhibitor-digoxin-diuretic with congestive heart failure.