Blood levels of Mn, Fe, Zn, Cd, and Cr associated with HF status in Saudi outpatients.
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Key Takeaway
Note that Mn levels were below reference in this case-control study, but findings are preliminary and observational.
This was a case-control study conducted in the outpatient department of King Fahad Medical City hospital. The population included 180 adult Saudi patients, with cases having heart failure and controls having normal ventricular function.
The study assessed blood levels of manganese (Mn), iron (Fe), zinc (Zn), cadmium (Cd), and chromium (Cr) as exposures. The primary outcome was associations with HF status, functional class, and echocardiographic parameters.
The main result reported was that Mn levels were below the reference range. No other specific effect sizes, absolute numbers, p-values, or confidence intervals for the other metals or outcomes were provided in the input.
Safety and tolerability data were not reported. Key limitations include the observational case-control design, which cannot establish causality, and the lack of detailed results for most outcomes.
The practice relevance is limited to generating hypotheses about metal levels in heart failure. Clinicians should interpret these findings cautiously, recognizing they are preliminary and not actionable for treatment decisions.
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View Original Abstract ↓
BackgroundEssential elements such as manganese (Mn), iron (Fe), and zinc (Zn) are critical in for cardiovascular function, whereas exposure to non-essential toxic metals, including cadmium (Cd) and chromium (Cr) may contribute to cardiac dysfunction and the development or progression of heart failure (HF).AimThis study evaluated the blood levels of Mn, Fe, Zn, Cd, and Cr in adult Saudi patients with HF and in controls with normal ventricular function, and explored their associations with HF status, functional class, and echocardiographic parameters.MethodsConsecutive adult patients referred for clinically indicated transthoracic echocardiography at the outpatient department of King Fahad Medical City hospital between November 2019 and March 2020 were invited to participate. Clinical data were collected, echocardiograms were reviewed, and blood concentrations of of Mn, Fe, Zn, Cd, and Cr were measured using atomic absorption spectrophotometry.ResultA total of 180 participants were included (mean age 60.3 years), of whom 65.6% had HF. Most measured element levels were within reference ranges, except for Mn, which was below the reference range (
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