RESUMEN
BACKGROUND: Chronic heart failure (CHF) is a major cause of morbidity and mortality. Despite recent improvements in the management of this condition, the overall prognosis remains poor. Echocardiography is the most useful test in the evaluation of systolic and diastolic function and has also a prognostic value. AIM: The aim of this study is to determine echocardiographic predictors of mortality in patients with CHF. METHODS: We followed 100 patients with a diagnosis of CHF over an average period of 44+/-40.5 months. We compared echocardiographic parameters in survivors and non survivors. RESULTS: Four variables predicted death: LVEF <35% (p=0.001), TDE <150ms (p=0.001), E/A ratio >2 (p=0.05) and E/Ea ratio >10 (p=0.008). CONCLUSION: Doppler echocardiography has a central role in the evaluation of patients with CHF. It provides valuable prognostic information by combination of several parameters.