During the 25 years of the existence of the Russian Society of Experts in Heart Failure, it has become the most numerous and authoritative medical association. The Society has representative offices in 52 regions of Russia, and its active members amount to more than 4,000 various specialists. More than 200 Schools, regional conferences, and annual Congresses have been held annually. Dozens of clinical studies have been performed under the auspices of the Society, and the Cardiology journal has been published. This article also outlines the following new promising areas for the development of the Society: widespread introduction of modern clinical guidelines into clinical practice; transition to personalized medicine based on phenotyping of patients with heart failure; acceleration of heart failure diagnostics and earlier initiation of treatment with recommended doses; transition to remote follow-up of heart failure outpatients.

An important objective of the creation of the Society of Experts in Heart Failure (SEHF) was to assess the level of diagnostics and approaches to the treatment of chronic heart failure (CHF) in the Russian Federation (RF), without which it was impossible to bring clinical practice to the optimal level and in consistency with the existing clinical guidelines. Thus, along with the development of Guidelines for the diagnosis and treatment of CHF, a series of registries and multicenter clinical trials (MCTs) was conducted to bring the indexes of real practice closer to the developed Guidelines. Numerous MCTs organized during the 25 years of the SEHF existence have significantly improved the substantiated and recommended therapy for CHF administered by practicing physicians in the Russian Federation. This article overviews the most important registries and MCTs that were conducted during the 25 years of the SEHF work and their effect on CHF diagnostics and treatment in the clinical practice in the RF.

Aim      The article presents the principal results and conclusions of the study “SCHool and outpAtient moNitoring of patients with Cardiac failurE (CHANCE)”, organized by the Society of Experts in Heart Failure.

Material and methods  CHANCE was a multicenter randomized study. Patients in the intervention group (IG) received the Structured Education and Flexible Outpatient Control Model, that included telephone contacts plus an additional visit if necessary. The planned visits for the IG and control group (CG) were scheduled at 3, 6, and 12 months. 360 IG patients and 385 CG patients were included in the analysis. In the main analysis of the CHANCE study, the efficacy was assessed by the impact on the hard endpoints (mortality and rehospitalizations), clinical condition, functional capabilities, quality of life, anxiety and depressive symptoms, and cost-effectiveness. Also, a comprehensive assessment was performed of the prevalence, structure, and dynamics of anxiety and depressive symptoms depending on the changes in the clinical condition.

Results Mortality significantly differed between the groups: 30 (8.3%) patients died in the IG and 50 (13.0%) in the CG. The relative risk of death was 0.68, 95% confidence interval 0.42-0.99, p = 0.044. To prevent one death, it was necessary to educate and monitor 21 patients with clinically evident chronic heart failure (CHF) according to the principles of the CHANCE program. According to the dynamics of the Clinical Condition Assessment Scale (SCAS), the score difference between the groups was 1.7 (p<0.001) after 12 months of follow-up in favor of the IG group. In 12 months, the increase in the 6-minute walk test distance was 98.7 m in the IG and 42.9 m in the CG (p<0.001). The change from baseline in the Minnesota questionnaire total score was 15.3 ± 16.3 in the IG (p<0.001) and 6.2 ± 15.3 in the CG (p<0.001). The odds of developing depressive symptoms increased with each SCAS point by 19% (p = 0.0002). The odds of developing anxiety symptoms increased with each SCAS point by 12% (p = 0.02). The odds of developing the most unfavorable combination of anxiety and depressive symptoms increased with each SCAS point by 41% (p = 0.000002). The participation of patients in the study increased the odds of reducing the anxiety and depressive symptoms in patients with CHF by 2.35 times (p<0.0001), to a greater extent in women.

Conclusion      The CHANCE study that included 42 centers in 23 cities of Russia became the forerunner of the first initiatives in organizing the outpatient follow-up of patients in real clinical practice and serves as a vivid example of the importance of national research programs. Their implementation allows obtaining results that can be scaled up throughout the country to make an important contribution to the improvement of medical care for patients with CHF.

Aim    To analyze the main reasons for the impairment of the life prognosis of patients with chronic heart failure (CHF) in real clinical practice of the Russian Federation.
Material and methods    Representative samples of the population of the Nizhny Novgorod region (1998, n=1,922) and the European part of Russia followed from 2002 through 2017 (n=19,276), as well as randomly selected medical records of outpatients under the dispensary monitoring for CHF from 19 therapeutic and preventive medical institutions of three constituent entities of the Russian Federation (n=177, 2022) were analyzed for the adherence to therapy and the effectiveness of treatment. In addition, the prevalence, etiology, and prognosis of life of patients with CHF and acute decompensated heart failure (ADHF) were determined as a part of the EPOCH study.
Results    The EPOCH-CHF study for the first time determined the true prevalence of CHF in the European part of the Russian Federation (8.2% by soft criteria) and 3.1% (by strict criteria). Furthermore, the prevalence of heart failure with reduced ejection fraction (EF) was 0.8%, moderately reduced EF was 0.9%, and heart failure with preserved EF was 1.4% of all studied patients in whom HF was defined by strict criteria. The EPOCH-CHF and EPOCH-Hospital Stage studies confirmed that a long-term exposure of the body to arterial hypertension and ischemic heart disease significantly influenced the development of CHF. At the same time, acute myocardial infarction, diabetes mellitus and uncorrected heart defects can induce severe CHF within a short period. The life prognosis of patients both after ADHF and with stable CHF in the Russian Federation is very poor. Within 4 years, 55.2% of patients after ADHF die; no patient with III-IV FC CHF survives longer than 10 years; and patients with I-II FC CHF are at a 75% risk to die after 16 years of follow-up. This is related with an ineffective use of basic drugs and uncoordinated follow-up of patients.
Conclusion    The analysis of three studies showed a high level of coverage of CHF patients with therapy but a low level of compliance with national guidelines, which is reflected in the use of low doses of drugs, the lack of effective hemodynamic control and, as a consequence, a poor prognosis for CHF patients with CHF, regardless of its stable course or acute decompensation.

Aim      To evaluate the role of iron deficiency (ID) identified by various criteria, anemia, and the combination of ID and anemia in determining the severity of the clinical course of chronic heart failure (CHF) in a retrospective analysis of data from 498 patients who participated in the ID-CHF-RF Russian multicenter program.

Material and methods  ID was diagnosed by the following three criteria established by the European Society of Cardiology (ESC) and the Russian Society of Cardiology (RSC): 1) ferritin concentration <100 μg/l or ferritin concentration 100-299 μg/l in combination with a decreased transferrin saturation (TS) <20%; 2) ID criteria that showed a high sensitivity and specificity when compared with bone marrow morphology (BMM): TS ≤19.8% or serum iron (SI) ≤13 μmol/l; and 3) a composite index including a ferritin concentration <100 μg/l in combination with TS <20% and SI ≤13 μmol/l. The presence of anemia was defined as a hemoglobin concentration of less than 12.0 g/dl in women and less than 13.0 g/dl in men according to the criteria of the World Health Organization.

Results Concomitant anemia was detected in 40.3% of patients with CHF; in 85.1% of cases, anemia was combined with the SI concentration below normal. CHF patients with concomitant anemia were significantly older and had low levels of not only red blood cells and hemoglobin but also all parameters of iron metabolism, i.e., SI, ferritin concentration, and TS. The mean deviation of the red blood cell size, that characterizes the degree of anisocytosis, was significantly increased in patients with anemia, especially with a low SI. These patients had a higher CHF functional class, elevated levels of N-terminal fragment of pro-brain natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP) and walked a shorter distance in the 6-minute walk test, which reflects significantly more severe manifestations of CHF with concomitant anemia, particularly in combination with a low SI. The incidence of ID was 83.1% (including 23.3% in combination with anemia) according to the ESC/RSC criteria; 74.5% (including 43.3% with anemia) according to the BMM criteria; and 51.6% (including 51.7% with anemia) according to the composite index, which seems to be stricter compared to the first two criteria. Regardless of the assessment method (by total weighted average data), in ID combined with anemia, not only the hemoglobin concentration was significantly reduced but all three analyzed parameters of iron metabolism were also significantly reduced (SI 9.0 μmol/l vs. 10.4 μmol/l; ferritin 41 μg/l vs. 59 μg/l; TS 8.5% vs. 12.9%) compared to ID without anemia, respectively. The CHF severity and the NT-proBNP concentration were also maximum for the combination of ID and anemia, in contrast to ID without anemia, regardless of the ID criterion used. A more accurate comparison of the methods for determining ID in CHF in the context of their prognostic value will be obtained by analyzing the data of a two-year follow-up of patients in this study, which will be the subject of the next article.

Conclusion      This analysis suggests that the presence of concomitant ID without anemia or anemia without ID moderately affects the severity of clinical manifestations of CHF and may be rather markers than factors determining the course of the disease, and in this case, does not require special correction with iron medications. And only ID anemia (a combination of ID with anemia) in patients with CHF can be considered a condition requiring special correction (for example, with intravenous medication) in addition to optimal therapy for CHF. This conclusion does not change depending on the used criteria for ID and requires verification in new RCTs.

Aim    To analyze the results of myocardial revascularization in the Russian Federation (RF) for ACS in 2023 compared to previous years.
Material and methods    The analysis included the number of cases of ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI), non-ST-segment elevation acute coronary syndrome (NSTE-ACS), myocardial revascularization in the above-listed ACS forms, the number of fatal outcomes depending on the ACS form and the revascularization method used. The data for this analysis were obtained from the 2023 Ministry of Health of Russia monitoring in the section of revascularization in ACS and were compared with the data for the past 8 years.
Results, conclusion   In 2023, 438,315 patients were hospitalized for ACS in the Russian Federation: 309,158 with NSTE-ACS and 148,729 with STEMI. The total number of hospitalizations for ACS per 1 million of the Russian population was 2,982: 1,011 with STEMI and 2,103 with NSTE-ACS. The availability of primary PCI in 2023 reached its maximum of 55.3% compared to previous years; the total number of PCI for STEMI was 75.7%, and the mortality rate in the whole STEMI group was a minimum of 10.7% for the past 8 years. In 2023, the maximum number of PCIs for NSTE-ACS for the past 8 years was recorded, both in absolute values (120,990) and in relative values (39.1%). In the whole NSTE-ACS group, mortality was 2.5%, which was also the lowest for the past 8 years.

Aim    To evaluate the risks of all-cause death (ACD), cardiovascular death (CVD), death from recurrent acute decompensated heart failure (ADHF), and a composite index of CVD and death from recurrent ADHF in patients with chronic heart failure (CHF) after the first hospitalization for ADHF during a long-term, five-year follow-up in the conditions of specialized medical care and in real clinical practice.
Material and methods    This prospective cohort observational study included 942 patients after ADHF. Group 1 consisted of 510 patients who continued the outpatient follow-up at a specialized center for the treatment of CHF (cCHF); group 2 consisted of 432 patients followed up at outpatient and polyclinic institutions (OPI) at the place of residence. During the five-year follow-up, the causes of death were determined based on the medical records of inpatients, postmortem examinations, or the conclusion in the medical records of outpatients. Rates of ACD, CVD, death from recurrent ADHF, and the composite index (CVD and death from ADHF) were analyzed. Statistical analysis was performed with a R statistical package.
Results    ACD was 32.3% and 53.5% in groups 1 and 2, respectively (p<0.001). Based on the results of Cox proportional hazards models, it was shown that the follow-up in group 1, regardless of other factors, was associated with a decrease in the ACD risk (HR 2.07; 95% CI 1.68-2.54; p<0.001), CVD (HR 1.94; 95% CI 1.26-2.97; p=0.002), death from recurrent ADHF (HR 2.4; 95% CI 1.66–3.42; p<0.001) and the composite mortality index (HR 2.2; 95% CI 1.65-2.85; p<0.001) compared to group 2. The risks of death in CHF patients with moderately reduced left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) (HFmrEF) were consistent with the death rates in CHF patients with low LVEF (HFrEF) and were significantly higher than in CHF patients with preserved LVEF (HFpEF). The prognosis of life worsened with an increase in the Clinical Condition Assessment Scale score and age. The prognosis of life was better in women, as well as with higher values of systolic blood pressure (BP) and 6-minute walk test. In the structure of death in both groups, death from ADHF and sudden cardiac death (SCD) prevailed.
Conclusion    The absence of specialized follow-up at an outpatient CHF center increases the risks of ACD, CVD, death from recurrent ADHF, and the composite endpoint at a depth of five-year observation. The leading causes of death were recurrent ADHF and SCD.

Aim    To evaluate the cumulative incidence and prognostic value of rehospitalizations in patients with heart failure (HF) within one year after discharge.
Material and methods    The data of patients with HF hospitalized for the first time (code I50.x in the diagnosis) for the period from January 01, 2022 through February 13, 2024 were selected from the St. Petersburg Chronic Heart Failure Registry. Age and gender characteristics, comorbidities, risk of rehospitalization and death after discharge from the hospital depending on the number of rehospitalizations were analyzed. Descriptive statistics methods, Kaplan-Meier survival analysis, and the Fine and Gray competing risks model were used. P<0.001 was considered significant.
Results    The study included 43,143 patients with HF who were hospitalized for the first time. During a median observation time of 242 days, 6,395 (14.8%) patients were readmitted, most often once (78.4%). A greater number of rehospitalizations was typical for men, patients with HF of ischemic genesis, atrial fibrillation, diabetes mellitus, obstructive pulmonary diseases, and a history of COVID-19. The cumulative incidence of rehospitalizations for HF during 1, 3, 6, and 12 months was 3.2%, 7.0%, 10.8%, and 17.2%, respectively, taking into account the competing risk of death. With an increasing number of hospitalizations, the median time to the next hospitalization decreased, and the risk of readmission increased (p<0.001). The probability of death within a year of the index hospitalization was 14.9% (95% confidence interval [CI]: 14.5%-15.3%). The all-cause death rate was 30, 44, and 54 cases per 100 patient-years for patients with one, two, and at least three readmissions vs. 19 cases per 100 patient-years for those without readmissions. Readmitted patients were characterized by an increased risk of death: the adjusted hazard ratios of death in patients with one, two, and at least three readmissions were 1.47 (95% CI: 1.36-1.59), 1.97 (95% CI: 1.69-2.30), and 2.24 (95% CI: 1.81-2.78), respectively.
Conclusion    In patients hospitalized with HF for the first time, the cumulative one-year HF readmission rate adjusted for the competing risk of death was 17.2%. Increased readmission rates were independently associated with increased odds of readmission and death.

Aim      To identify metabolomic and structure and function markers of remote left ventricular (LV) remodeling in patients with chronic heart failure (CHF) of ischemic etiology and LV ejection fraction (EF) <50%.

Material and methods  This prospective study included 56 patients with 3-4 NYHA functional class CHF of ischemic etiology (mean age, 66±7 years) and 50 patients with ischemic heart disease (IHD) without signs of CHF (69 [64; 73.7] years). Concentration of 19 amino acids, 11 products of kynurenine catabolism of tryptophan, 30 acylcarnitines with different chain lengths were measured in all participants. The metabolites that showed statistical differences between the comparison groups were then used for the analysis. Echocardiography was used to assess LV cavity remodeling at the time of the CHF patient inclusion in the study and after 6 months of follow-up. Predictors of long-term LV cavity remodeling were assessed for this cohort taking into account statistically significant echocardiographic parameters and metabolites.

Results Patients with CHF of ischemic etiology, predominantly (81%) had pathological calculated types of LV remodeling (concentric and eccentric hypertrophy, 46 and 35%, respectively). However, this classification had limitations in describing this cohort. In addition, in this group, the concentrations of alanine, proline, asparagine, glycine, arginine, histidine, lysine, valine, indolyl-3-acetic acid, indolyl-3-propionic acid, C16-1-OH, and C16-OH were significantly (p<0.05) lower, and the concentrations of most medium- and long-chain acylcarnitines were higher than in patients with IHD without signs of CHF. The long-term (6 months) reverse remodeling of the LV cavity in CHF of ischemic etiology was influenced by changes in the interventricular septum thickness (hazard ratio, HR, 19.07; 95% confidence interval, CI, 1.76-206.8; p=0.006) and concentrations of anthranilic acid (HR 19.8; 95% CI 1.01-387.8; p=0.019) and asparagine (HR 8.76; 95% CI 1.07-71.4; p=0.031).

Conclusion      The presence of an interventricular septum thickness of more than 13.5 mm, anthranilic acid concentrations of higher than 0.235 μM/l, or an asparagine concentration of less than 135.2 μM/l in patients with CHF of ischemic etiology after 6 months of follow-up affects their achievement of LV cavity reverse remodeling.

This review focuses on the sex-related differences of patients in etiological factors, clinical picture, and objective laboratory and instrumental signs of heart failure. The authors performed an analysis of the effectiveness of drug and non-drug treatments depending on the gender of patients with low and preserved left ventricular ejection fraction, which should improve the quality of medical care and outcomes in patients with heart failure.

Left atrial dysfunction (left atrial myopathy) is not only a consequence of impaired left ventricular diastolic function but also plays a central role in the pathophysiology of heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF). Left atrial myopathy in HFpEF is associated with a more severe course of heart failure and an unfavorable prognosis, and the choice of treatment largely depends on its severity. Echocardiography allows an accurate assessment of the left atrial condition, while the parameters of left atrial myocardial strain are sensitive to early functional disorders to help diagnosing HFpEF and determining the prognosis. This article discusses the participation of the left atrium in the left ventricular filling, its status at different stages of left ventricular diastolic dysfunction, the major mechanisms of atrial myopathy in HFpEF, and therapeutic approaches to its restriction and reversion.

These guidelines combine the key provisions for the management of patients with chronic heart failure (CHF) at the outpatient stage based on current data from clinical studies, new 2024 clinical guidelines of the Russian Society of Cardiology for the management of CHF patients, and the provisions of the current order of the Ministry of Health of the Russian Federation on the procedure for conducting dispensary observation. CHF is a progressive disease characterized by a high risk of death, rehospitalizations, and disability. Reducing the risk of CHF decompensation and improving the prognosis is possible only with regular monitoring of the patient's condition and timely correction of therapy. The priority task of the outpatient unit is to expand the coverage of dispensary follow-up of CHF patients, preventive counseling, and telemedicine monitoring for timely identification of the patients at a high risk of CHF progression, improving their quality of life, and prolonging their life duration.