Background: Muscle wasting is pronounced in patients with heart failure with preserved ejection fraction
(HFpEF). The quadriceps femoris echotexture biomarkers assessed by ultrasound (US) have not been studied in
these patients.
Objective: To describe echotexture biomarkers assessed by the US and to assess their relationship with sex, age,
body mass index (BMI), self-reported outcomes, muscle strength and physical function in older adults with
HFpEF.
Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted. Patients 70 years and older with HFpEF were included. The sex,
age, BMI, and self-reported outcomes were collected. The US assessed muscle and subcutaneous fat tissue
contrast, correlation, energy, homogeneity, and entropy at rest and maximal voluntary isometrical contraction
(MVIC). The six-minute walk test (6MWT), the short physical performance battery (SPPB), the timed up and go
test (TUG), the usual pace gait speed test (UGS), and the fast pace gait speed test (FGS) were used to assess
physical function. The five-repetitions sit-to-stand test (5-STS) was performed to assess muscle strength. Bivariant
Pearson correlations and subsequent multivariate linear regression analyses were conducted.
Results: Seventy-two older adults with HFpEF [81.06 years, 29.13 BMI, and 55.60% females] were recruited. In
women, relaxed and MVIC muscle energy and entropy explained 35.40% of the TUG variance; relaxed muscle
entropy and MVIC muscle energy shared 24.00% of the UGS variance; relaxed and MVIC muscle entropy, MVIC
muscle contrast and MVIC muscle energy explained 32.60% of the FGS variance, adjusted all the models by age
and BMI.
