Prognostic Implications of Regional Cerebral Blood Flow Abnormality Assessed by Single Photon Emission Computed Tomography in Chronic Heart Failure Patients

Mild cognitive impairment (MCI) acts as strong barriers to treatment adherence and self-care has been linked to increased mortality in patients with chronic heart failure (CHF). Accordingly, early detection of MCI is of critical importance. Evaluating cerebral blood flow using single-photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) offers a reliable approach for identifying MCI at an early stage. This study aimed to investigate the prevalence and the prognostic relevance of regional cerebral blood flow (rCBF) abnormality, as assessed by brain perfusion scintigraphy, in CHF patients. Among the 952 CHF patients enrolled, 231 exhibited the rCBF abnormality. These patients had a higher incidence of atrial fibrillation, hypoalbuminemia, and adverse cardiac events compared to those without the rCBF abnormality. Both Cox proportional hazards modeling and Kaplan–Meier survival analysis demonstrated a significant association between the rCBF abnormality and the occurrence of cardiac events. In conclusion, the rCBF abnormality serves as an independent predictor of adverse prognosis in patients with CHF and may contribute to more effective risk stratification in this population.