[Anemia in heart failure: its usefulness as prognosis or comorbidity marker: GESAIC-2 study]

To assess the prognosis and etiology of anemia in heart failure (HF).

Prospective multicenter cohort of HF after one year of hospitalization.

A total of 57 (27%) of the 211 patients died and 115 (67.8%) were readmitted. Mortality was higher in the group with anemia (31.8%) without statistical significance (P=.09), except for refractory HF mortality (P=.013). Predictors of HF mortality included Barthel index (hazard ratio [HR] 0.97, CI 95% 0.96 to 0.98) and serum creatinine at discharge (HR 2.28, 95% CI 1.51 to 3.45). For reentry, the Charlson index (OR 1.16, CI 95% 0.98 to 1.38), treatment with calcium channel blockers (OR 0.29, 95% CI 0.1 to 0.84) and not being treated with digoxin (OR 2.33, CI 95% 1.09 to 4.97), the latter with the greatest influence on readmission for HF (OR 3.07, CI 95% 1.39 to 6.79), along with not being a HF debut (OR 2.8, CI 95% 1.45 to 5.39).

Anemia is an increased risk of mortality due to refractory HF, but not for readmission within the first year after an acute event.