From the Research
The LF score is not directly related to liver fibrosis in the provided evidence, but rather left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) is a key concept in the diagnosis and management of heart failure. The concept of an LF score is not explicitly defined in the provided studies, which primarily focus on left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) and its role in heart failure. However, based on the most recent and highest quality study, the use of left ventricular ejection fraction in the diagnosis and management of heart failure is a critical aspect of clinical practice, as stated in the clinical consensus statement of the Heart Failure Association (HFA) of the ESC, the Heart Failure Society of America (HFSA), and the Japanese Heart Failure Society (JHFS) 1. Some key points to consider include:
- LVEF is inversely associated with mortality and cardiovascular outcomes in heart failure patients, as shown in the WARCEF trial 2.
- The assessment of LVEF is not required for the initiation of certain treatments, such as sodium-glucose cotransporter 2 inhibitors, mineralocorticoid receptor antagonists, and diuretics, in patients with suspected de novo heart failure and elevated N-terminal pro-B-type natriuretic peptide levels 1.
- Echocardiographic parameters of LV longitudinal function, such as global longitudinal strain (GLS), are useful in predicting adverse outcomes in heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF) patients, as demonstrated in a study published in ESC heart failure 3.
- ACE inhibitors have significantly decreased cardiovascular mortality, myocardial infarction, and hospitalizations for heart failure in patients with asymptomatic or symptomatic left ventricular systolic dysfunction, as shown in the SOLVD trials 4.
- The benefits and adverse effects of ACE inhibitors in patients with heart failure with reduced ejection fraction have been assessed in a systematic review and meta-analysis, which found that ACE inhibitors reduce all-cause mortality and adverse events, but also increase the risk of cough, hypotension, dizziness, hyperkalaemia, and increased creatinine levels 5.