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Course and prognosis in patients > or = 70 years of age with congestive heart failure and normal versus abnormal left
R Pernenkil1, J M Vinson, A S Shah
1Division of Cardiology, Barnes-Jewish Hospital at Washington University Medical Center, St. Louis, Missouri 63110, USA.
The American Journal of Cardiology
|January 15, 1997
Insights
Many older adults hospitalized for heart failure have normal heart pumping function. Reduced ejection fraction predicts worse outcomes at 3 months, but not long-term survival in elderly heart failure patients.
Area of Science:
- Cardiology
- Geriatric Medicine
- Heart Failure Research
Background:
- Congestive heart failure (CHF) is a common condition in elderly patients.
- Left ventricular systolic function and ejection fraction are key indicators of heart health.
- The prognostic value of preserved ejection fraction in geriatric CHF populations requires further investigation.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the prevalence of normal left ventricular systolic function in hospitalized elderly patients with CHF.
- To determine the prognostic significance of reduced left ventricular ejection fraction in this population at short-term (3 months) and long-term (1 year) follow-up.
Main Methods:
- Retrospective analysis of 501 patients aged 70 years or older admitted for CHF.
- Assessment of left ventricular systolic function and ejection fraction.
- Evaluation of adverse prognosis at 3 months and 1 year post-discharge.
Main Results:
- 34.1% of elderly CHF patients exhibited normal left ventricular systolic function.
- Reduced left ventricular ejection fraction was identified as an independent predictor of adverse prognosis at 3 months.
- This association between reduced ejection fraction and adverse prognosis was not significant at 1 year.
Conclusions:
- A substantial proportion of elderly patients hospitalized with CHF have preserved systolic function.
- Left ventricular ejection fraction is a valuable short-term prognostic marker in this demographic.
- The prognostic impact of ejection fraction diminishes over longer follow-up periods in elderly CHF patients.
Abstract:
In this study of 501 patients aged > or =70 years hospitalized with congestive heart failure, 34.1% had normal left ventricular systolic function. Reduced left ventricular ejection fraction was an independent predictor of an adverse prognosis at 3 months but not at 1 year.