Self-Management Task Performance and Its Association with Biomarkers in Elderly Patients with Chronic Heart Failure: A Cross-Sectional Analysis.

PURPOSE

This study aimed to investigate the relationship between self-management task performance and key heart failure biomarkers (NT-proBNP and uric acid) in elderly patients with chronic heart failure (CHF), and to explore the mediating role of disease severity in this relationship.

DESIGN PATIENTS AND METHODS

A total of 103 elderly CHF patients were recruited. And cross-sectional study conducted at two tertiary hospitals. Self-management task performance was assessed using a validated six-task evaluation scale. Clinical data, including NT-proBNP, uric acid, and other laboratory markers, were collected. Participants were stratified into low and high task performance groups based on the median score. Data were analyzed using partial correlation analysis, logistic regression, and restricted cubic spline analysis.

RESULTS

Patients with higher task performance were significantly younger (p < 0.001). Task performance was negatively correlated with NT-proBNP (r = -0.337, p < 0.001) and uric acid (r = -0.279, p = 0.005), indicating that lower performance was associated with higher biomarker levels, reflecting more severe disease progression. A non-linear decreasing trend in both NT-proBNP and uric acid levels was observed as task performance increased. Among the self-management tasks, medication-related tasks had the lowest success rates, while tasks related to oedema and dietary management showed higher performance rates.

CONCLUSION

Lower self-management task performance is significantly associated with elevated NT-proBNP and uric acid levels in elderly CHF patients, suggesting that poorer performance may indicate more advanced disease progression. These findings highlight the importance of targeted interventions to enhance self-management skills, particularly in medication adherence and disease monitoring, to improve patient outcomes. Future research should investigate the long-term clinical impact of improving task performance in CHF patients.