Study of liver biochemical profiles in congestive heart failure patients in Government Dharmapuri Medical College, Dharmapuri

Introduction: Heart failure causes a number of pathophysiological affects which, alone or in combination result in liver cell damage. As a consequence, liver function abnormalities are so common in heart failure. Liver dysfunction in heart failure is usually mild and asymptomatic and often detected incidentally on routine liver biochemical investigations. Aim of The Study: To study the influence of congestive heart failure on liver biochemical profiles. Materials and methods: Among cases admitted with heart failure in the medical wards, government general hospital, sixty patients who had met the inclusion and exclusion criteria were taken up for study. Results: Among the total heart failure cases, 40% were due to rheumatic heart disease. Dilated cardiomyopathies represent about 23% of cases. Heart failure secondary to coronary artery heart disease is seen in about 13% of cases. We have found five cases with acute heart failure and three cases with hypotension. Present study revealed a strong correlation between liver function derangements and the above cases. Conclusion: The study observed 20% of cases with jaundice. Among sixty cases liver enlargement was seen in 63% of cases. Increased liver size is strongly correlated with hyperbilirubinemia. Though the conjugated fraction of bilirubin is also elevated, the levels of unconjugated fraction were higher. Serum aminotransferases were elevated in 78% of cases unlike serum alkaline phosphatase which is increased only in 25% of cases. There found to be a significant correlation between rise in unconjugated bilirubin and elevation of serum aminotransferases.