Temporal trends in survival and hospitalizations in outpatients with chronic systolic heart failure in 1995 and 1999

Abstract Background Community and hospital studies have suggested that survival of patients with heart failure (HF) has increased; however, the causes of the improvement and the hospital readmission rates remain undetermined. Methods and Results We compared survival and hospital admission rates in 2 cohorts enrolled in a national registry of outpatients with HF secondary to left ventricular (LV) systolic dysfunction referred to cardiology centers in 1995 (n=712) and 1999 (n=603). One year after enrollment, 163 of 1315 patients (12%) were dead. Survival rates were 85% in the 1995 versus 91% in the 1999 cohort. Older age, New York Heart Association (NYHA) class III-IV, anemia, hyponatremia, hypotension, and a lower LV ejection fraction (LVEF) were associated to an increased risk of all-cause mortality by multivariate analysis. Furthermore a significant independent cohort effect was observed: the adjusted risk of death was 1.30 (95% CI 1.16–1.45) for the 1995 versus 1999 cohort (survival difference adjusted P =.0067). The proportion of patients admitted to hospital declined significantly in 1999 versus 1995, for all causes (20% versus 27%, P =.006), for cardiac causes (16% versus 22%, P =.002), and for worsening congestive heart failure (8% versus 15%, P =.0005). Survival free from HF admission was 69% in 1995 versus 84% in 1999 (adjusted P =.0001); NYHA class III-IV, hypotension, diuretics and a lower LVEF were associated to an increased risk of this combined end point by multivariate analysis, as well as the enrollment year (relative risk 1.38, 95% CI 1.22–1.56, P =.0039). Conclusion In a national cardiologic registry of outpatients with systolic HF, survival improved and hospital admissions decreased over a 4-year period. These results underscore the importance of networking and the careful implementation of practice guidelines to elevate standards of care.