Trends in Noncardiovascular Comorbidities Among Patients Hospitalized for Heart Failure: Insights From the Get With The Guidelines-Heart Failure Registry

Abhinav Sharma*, Xin Zhao, Bradley G. Hammill, Adrian F. Hernandez, Gregg C. Fonarow, G. Michael Felker, Clyde W. Yancy, Paul A. Heidenreich, Justin A. Ezekowitz, Adam D. DeVore

*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

145 Scopus citations

Abstract

Background: The increase in medical complexity among patients hospitalized with heart failure (HF) may be reflected by an increase in concomitant noncardiovascular comorbidities. Among patients hospitalized with HF, the temporal trends in the prevalence of noncardiovascular comorbidities have not been well described. Methods and Results: We used data from 207 984 patients in the Get With The Guidelines-Heart Failure registry (from 2005 to 2014) to evaluate the prevalence and trends of noncardiovascular comorbidities (chronic obstructive pulmonary disorder/asthma, anemia, diabetes mellitus, obesity [body mass index ≥30 kg/m2], and renal impairment) among patients hospitalized with HF. Medicare beneficiaries aged ≥65 years were used to assess 30-day mortality. The prevalence of 0, 1, 2, and ≥3 noncardiovascular comorbidities was 18%, 30%, 27%, 25%, respectively. From 2005 to 2014, there was a decline in patients with 0 noncardiovascular comorbidities (22%-16%; P<0.0001) and an increase in patients with ≥3 noncardiovascular comorbidities (18%-29%; P<0.0001). Among Medicare beneficiaries, there was an increased 30-day adjusted mortality risk among patients with 1 noncardiovascular comorbidity (hazard ratio, 1.16; 95% confidence interval, 1.09-1.24; P<0.0001), 2 noncardiovascular comorbidities (hazard ratio, 1.34; 95% confidence interval, 1.25-1.44; P<0.0001), and ≥3 noncardiovascular comorbidities (hazard ratio, 1.63; 95% confidence interval, 1.51-1.75; P<0.0001). Similar trends were seen for in-hospital mortality. Conclusions: Patients admitted in hospital for HF have an increasing number of noncardiovascular comorbidities over time, which are associated with worse outcomes. Strategies addressing the growing burden of noncardiovascular comorbidities may represent an avenue to improve outcomes and should be included in the delivery of in-hospital HF care.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Article numbere004646
JournalCirculation: Heart Failure
Volume11
Issue number6
DOIs
StatePublished - Jun 1 2018

Funding

This work was supported by an American Heart Association grant award no. 16SFRN30180010. The Get With The Guidelines-Heart Failure (GWTG-HF) program is provided by the American Heart Association. GWTG-HF is sponsored, in part, by Amgen Cardiovascular and has been funded in the past through support from Medtronic, GlaxoSmithKline, Ortho-McNeil, and the American Heart Association Pharmaceutical Roundtable.

Keywords

  • Medicare
  • body mass index
  • comorbidity
  • heart failure
  • prevalence

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Cardiology and Cardiovascular Medicine

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