The Third Nationwide Korean Heart Failure III Registry (KorHF III): The Study Design Paper

Area of Science:

• Cardiology
• Clinical Research
• Public Health

Background:

• Heart failure (HF) management has evolved with new pharmacologic and non-pharmacologic treatments.
• Previous Korean HF registries do not reflect current acute heart failure (AHF) patient profiles.
• There is a need for updated data on contemporary AHF in Korea.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess clinical characteristics, management strategies, hospital course, and long-term outcomes of contemporary AHF patients in Korea.
• To establish a nationwide prospective observational multicenter cohort study (KorHF III) for AHF.
• To provide a comprehensive understanding of AHF in the current Korean healthcare landscape.

Main Methods:

• Prospective observational multicenter cohort study (KorHF III).
• Enrollment of over 7,000 patients hospitalized for AHF across 47 tertiary hospitals in Korea starting March 2018.
• Follow-up of patients for up to 5 years to evaluate long-term clinical outcomes.
• Inclusion criteria: signs/symptoms of HF with lung congestion or echocardiographic evidence of cardiac abnormalities or isolated right-sided HF.

Main Results:

• Data collection on clinical characteristics, management approaches, and hospital course is ongoing.
• Long-term clinical outcomes will be evaluated through 5-year follow-up.
• The registry aims to identify trends and patterns in contemporary AHF management and outcomes.

Conclusions:

• KorHF III is a crucial nationwide registry for understanding contemporary AHF in Korea.
• The study will elucidate current clinical characteristics, management strategies, and outcomes of hospitalized AHF patients.
• Findings will inform future guidelines and improve AHF patient care in Korea.