{
  "abstract": "Background\n\nStage B heart failure (pre-HF) is characterized by objective cardiac abnormalities without HF symptoms. This study assessed the prevalence and clinical and echocardiographic characteristics of those who were asymptomatic yet had cardiovascular risk factors and Stage B HF.Methods\n\nThis cross-sectional study included 900 asymptomatic adults with cardiovascular risk factors, consecutively recruited from participating hospitals from October 2025 to July 2026. We performed clinical evaluation and a standardized transthoracic echocardiogram. Stage B/pre-HF was defined as the presence of objective cardiac structural or functional abnormalities in the absence of heart failure symptoms or signs. We evaluated independent factors associated with Stage B/pre-HF using multivariable logistic regression.Results\n\nIn this hospital-based cohort, Stage B/pre-HF was determined in 261 (29.0%) participants. Hypertension, diabetes mellitus, and obesity were more prevalent in the Stage B group, occurring in 154 (59.0%), 118 (45.2%), and 109 (41.8%), respectively. Stage B/pre-HF was characterized descriptively by lower left ventricular ejection fraction and higher left ventricular mass index, left atrial volume index, E/e' ratio, and tricuspid regurgitation velocity, along with impaired diastolic function. Hypertension was the strongest independent association (OR = 5.930, 95% CI: 3.815-9.217), followed by diabetes (OR = 2.945, 95% CI: 1.913-4.532), age, sex, and BMI. The model showed good fit (Nagelkerke R² = 0.565; Hosmer-Lemeshow p = 0.449).Conclusion\n\nStage B/pre-HF was common among asymptomatic adults with cardiovascular risk factors and was characterized by structural and functional cardiac abnormalities. These findings support the potential value of early identification and management of modifiable cardiovascular risk factors in asymptomatic adults at risk for HF.",
  "abstract_shown": true,
  "affiliations": [
    "Internal Medicine, Shifa College of Medicine, Shifa Tameer-e-Millat University, Islamabad, PAK.",
    "Internal Medicine, University Hospitals Dorset NHS Foundation Trust, Dorset, GBR.",
    "Internal Medicine, University of South China, Hengyang, CHN.",
    "Internal Medicine, Sheffield Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, Sheffield, GBR.",
    "Interventional Cardiology, Ch. Pervaiz Elahi Institute of Cardiology, Multan, Multan, PAK.",
    "Cardiology, Rehman Medical College, Peshawar, PAK.",
    "Internal Medicine, City Clinical Hospital No. 12, Kazan, RUS.",
    "Internal Medicine, S. M. Kirov Military Medical Academy, Saint Petersburg, RUS.",
    "Internal Medicine, Jinnah Sindh Medical University, Karachi, PAK.",
    "General Medicine, Ziauddin University, Karachi, PAK.",
    "General Medicine, Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust, Manchester, GBR.",
    "Medicine, Foundation University Medical College, Rawalpindi, PAK.",
    "Medicine, University Hospitals Dorset NHS Foundation Trust, Dorset, GBR.",
    "Internal Medicine, Ahfad University for Women, Omdurman, SDN.",
    "General Practice, University Hospital Sharjah, Sharjah, ARE.",
    "General Practice, Jordan University of Science and Technology, Irbid, JOR."
  ],
  "article_type": "research article",
  "arxiv": null,
  "author_total": 10,
  "authors": [
    {
      "affs": [
        0,
        1
      ],
      "name": "Muhammad Ayhan Amir"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        2,
        3
      ],
      "name": "Abdul Hannan"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        4
      ],
      "name": "Muhammad Farhan Shabbir"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        5
      ],
      "name": "Eemaz Nathaniel"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        6,
        7
      ],
      "name": "Azat Iarullin Ilgizovich"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        8
      ],
      "name": "Faiqa Haleem"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        9,
        10
      ],
      "name": "Saba Saeed"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        11,
        12
      ],
      "name": "Muhammad Usman Arshad"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        13,
        14
      ],
      "name": "Isra Mohamed Idris Abubakr"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        15
      ],
      "name": "Shatha BaniKhalaf"
    }
  ],
  "bibtex": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/26sm8e0e9zhsa.bib",
  "cited_by": 0,
  "doi": "10.7759/cureus.116788",
  "fulltext_url": "https://europepmc.org/articles/PMC13693955",
  "id": "26sm8e0e9zhsa",
  "issns": [
    "2168-8184"
  ],
  "landing_url": "https://europepmc.org/article/MED/42921564",
  "language": "eng",
  "licence": "CC-BY",
  "licence_label": "CC BY",
  "licence_source": "article",
  "licence_url": "https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/",
  "metadata_licence": null,
  "native_subjects": [
    [
      "openalex",
      "2705|Cardiovascular Function and Risk Factors"
    ]
  ],
  "openalex": "W7214084353",
  "pdf_url": "https://europepmc.org/articles/PMC13693955?pdf=render",
  "pmcid": "PMC13693955",
  "pmid": "42921564",
  "published": "2026-09-23",
  "publisher": null,
  "ris": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/26sm8e0e9zhsa.ris",
  "sources": [
    {
      "first_seen": "2026-10-30T12:20:36Z",
      "native_id": "MED:42921564",
      "source": "europepmc",
      "url": "https://europepmc.org/article/MED/42921564"
    }
  ],
  "subjects": [
    {
      "field": "medicine",
      "origin": "openalex:2705|Cardiovascular Function and Risk Factors",
      "subfield": "cardiovascular"
    }
  ],
  "title": "Clinical and Echocardiographic Characterization of Stage B Heart Failure in Asymptomatic Adults With Cardiovascular Risk Factors.",
  "title_text": "Clinical and Echocardiographic Characterization of Stage B Heart Failure in Asymptomatic Adults With Cardiovascular Risk Factors.",
  "type": "peer-reviewed",
  "updated_at": "2026-10-30T12:20:36Z",
  "url": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/26sm8e0e9zhsa",
  "venue": "Cureus",
  "versions": []
}