Noncardiovascular Death, Especially Infection, Is a Significant Cause of Death in Elderly Patients With Acutely Decompensated Heart Failure

Abstract Background Despite marked improvements in treatment strategies for heart failure (HF), the mortality rate of elderly patients with HF is still high. Detailed causes of death have not been fully understood. Methods and Results We studied 459 consecutive patients with acute decompensated HF (ADHF) emergently admitted to our hospital from 2007 to 2011. Patients were divided into 2 groups: P P P Conclusions Noncardiovascular deaths, most of which were caused by infection, were frequent among elderly patients with ADHF.