Association between left ventricular mass and heart failure in chronic kidney disease: a cross-sectional study

Purpose Left ventricular mass (LVM) is an indicator of left ventricular hypertrophy (LVH), and has been studied in a variety of diseases, but the relationship between LVH and its occurrence in heart failure (HF) in patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD) is currently unknown. Methods In this cross-sectional study, we investigated the association between LVM and HF in 2354 patients with CKD using stratified analyses, restricted cubic spline, and subgroup analyses by the Gansu Provincial People’s Hospital Medical Record Bank. P  < 0.05 was considered statistically significant. Results There was a significant difference in LVM between chronic kidney disease patients with and without heart failure ( P  < 0.001). After adjusting for several covariates, there was a positive correlation between LVM and HF (OR > 1, P  < 0.001). A threshold effect analysis after restricted cubic spline revealed an inflexion point of LVM and a different trend in the prevalence of HF before and after the inflexion point with the increasing of LVM. Subgroup analysis showed a clear positive correlation between LVM and HF at ages greater than 55 years ( P  = 0.018). Conclusions In patients with CKD, higher LVM is significantly associated with the development of heart failure, and this association is pronounced in older patients. Enhanced monitoring of left ventricular mass in patients with CKD can help in early recognition and prevention of heart failure.