Long-term mortality in older patients discharged after acute decompensated heart failure: a prospective cohort study

Data are available on short- and intermediate-term mortality rates after discharge for acutely decompensated heart failure (ADHF). However, few studies specifically addressed ADHF outcomes in patients aged 75 years or over, who contribute more than half of all ADHF admissions. Our objectives here were to estimate the long-term mortality of patients aged 75 years or over who were discharged after admission for ADHF and to identify factors, especially geriatric findings, independently associated with 2-year mortality.

This prospective cohort study in five French hospitals included consecutive patients aged 75 years or older and discharged after emergency-department admission for ADHF meeting Framingham criteria (N = 478; median age, 85 years; 68% female). Kaplan-Meier 1-year and 2-year survival curves were plotted. Admission characteristics independently associated with overall 2-year mortality were identified using multivariable Cox proportional-hazards regression.

Mortality was 41.7% (95% confidence interval [95% CI], 37.2%-53.5%) after 1 year and 56.0% (95% CI, 51.5%-60.7%) after 2 years. By multivariable analysis, independent predictors of 2-year mortality were male sex (hazard ratio [HR], 1.36; 95% CI, 1.00-1.82), age >85 years (HR, 1.57; 95% CI, 1.19-2.07), higher number of impaired activities of daily living (HR, 1.11 per impaired item; 95% CI, 1.05-1.17), recent weight loss (HR, 1.61; 95% CI, 1.14-2.28), and lower systolic blood pressure (HR, 0.86 per standard deviation increase; 95% CI, 0.74-0.99). Creatinine clearance ≤30 mL/min showed a trend toward an association with 2-year mortality (HR, 1.36; 95% CI, 0.97-2.00).

Functional impairment before admission is associated with higher long-term mortality in patients ≥75 years admitted for ADHF. This study focused on geriatric markers not traditionally collected in heart-failure patients but did not analyse all cardiologic parameters associated with outcomes in other studies. Nevertheless, our findings may contribute to identify those patients admitted for ADHF who have the worst prognosis.