Significant and constant increase in hospitalization due to heart failure in Spain over 15 year period

Abstract Background To examine trends in the incidence, characteristics, and in-hospital outcomes of heart failure (HF) hospitalizations from 2001 to 2015 in Spain. Methods Using the Spanish National Hospital Discharge Database (SNHDD) we selected admissions with a primary or secondary diagnosis of HF. The primary end points were trends in the incidence of hospitalizations and in-hospital mortality (IHM). Trends with primary and secondary diagnosis of HF were evaluated separately. Results The incidence of HF coding increased significantly from 466.16 cases per 100,000 inhabitants in 2001–03 to 780.4 in 2013–15 ( p p p Conclusions This research shows an increase of hospitalizations due to HF in Spain, particularly in patients with HF as a secondary diagnosis. Advance age and comorbidity in acute HF has increased in the recent years. However, IHM is decreasing while readmissions remain stable.