Acute heart failure as a predictor of short-term cardiovascular outcomes in patients with acute ischemic stroke

The impact of acute heart failure following acute ischemic stroke on short-term cardiovascular outcomes remains unclear. This study investigated the association between acute heart failure and cardiovascular outcomes within 90 days after acute ischemic stroke.

We retrospectively analyzed 1658 patients with acute ischemic stroke. In-hospital heart failure was defined as heart failure diagnosed on admission or within seven days of hospitalization. The primary outcome was a composite of major adverse cardiovascular events within 90 days of acute ischemic stroke. Secondary outcomes included a composite of fatal or nonfatal heart failure and all-cause mortality. Logistic regression analyses were used to identify predictors of these outcomes. Eighty-two patients with acute ischemic stroke (4.9 %) developed acute heart failure. Major adverse cardiovascular events occurred in 120 patients (7 %) within 90 days. In-hospital heart failure was an independent predictor of major adverse cardiovascular events (odds ratio [OR] 2.25, 95 % confidence interval [CI] 1.11-4.53, p = 0.023) and fatal or nonfatal heart failure (OR 4.72, 95 % CI 1.96-11.35, p = 0.001) within 90 days. However, it was not a significant predictor of all-cause mortality (OR 1.90, 95 % CI 0.94-3.84, p = 0.075).

In-hospital heart failure was a significant predictor of major adverse cardiovascular events and fatal or nonfatal heart failure within 90 days after acute ischemic stroke.