Health literacy and prognosis of heart failure: a prospective propensity-matched study in the community.

AIMS: Health literacy (HL), the ability to obtain and understand health information, is critical to self-care in chronic disorders. A low HL is common among these patients and has been associated with a worse prognosis. Nevertheless, the relationship between HL and the prognosis of heart failure (HF) with reduced (HFrEF) vs. preserved (HFpEF) ejection fraction remains unsettled. To analyse the relationship between HL and the prognosis of patients with incident HFrEF and HFpEF. METHODS AND RESULTS: Prospective study over 10 years (2010-19) on 6444 patients diagnosed with incident HF. The main outcomes were mortality, hospitalizations, and visits to emergency services. The independent relationship between HL and the prognosis, stratifying patients for cardiovascular comorbidity after propensity score-matching was analysed.After matching 5355 HF patients, 1785 with low HL (874 with HFrEF and 911 with HFpEF) vs. 3570 with adequate HL (1748 with HFrEF and 1822 with HFpEF), during a median follow-up of 5.41 years, 3874 patients died (72.3%) and 3699 patients were hospitalized (69.1%). After adjustment for potential confounders, an adequate HL was associated with a lower all-cause and cardiovascular mortality, less hospitalizations, and less 30-day readmissions [relative risk (RR) for HF <0.72 (0.66-0.86), RR for HFrEF <0.69 (0.63-0.95), and RR for HFpEF <0.62 (0.55-0.88), P < 0.001 in all cases], both for patients with HFrEF and HFpEF. Analyses of recurrent hospitalizations gave larger HL effects than time-to-first-event analyses. CONCLUSIONS: In this propensity-matched study, a low HL is associated with a worse prognosis of patients with incident HFrEF and HFpEF.

Treatment with renin-angiotensin system inhibitors and prognosis of heart failure with preserved ejection fraction: A propensity-matched study in the community.

AIMS: There is currently no consensus on the effect of treatment with angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors (ACEIs) and angiotensin receptor blockers (ARBs), on the prognosis of patients with heart failure and preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF). Therefore, we have analysed the relationship of commencing treatment with ACEIs or ARBs and the prognosis of patients with incident HFpEF. METHODS: Retrospective study over 15 years on 3864 patients with HFpEF (GAMIC cohort). Main outcomes were mortality (all-cause and cardiovascular) and hospitalisations for HF. The independent relationship between CT-RASIs and the prognosis, stratifying patients for cardiovascular comorbidity after propensity score-matching was analysed. RESULTS: During a median follow-up of 7.94 years, 2960 died (76.6%) and 3138 were hospitalised (81.2%). Therapy with RASIs was associated with a lower mortality, all-cause (RR [95% CI] for ACEIs: 0.76 [0.66-0.86], and RR for ARBs: 0.88 [0.80-0.96]; P < 0.001 in both cases), and cardiovascular (RR for ACEIs: 0.72 [0.66-0.78], and RR for ARBs: 0.87 [0.80-0.94]; P < 0.001), a lower hospitalisation rate (RR for ACEIs: 0.82 [0.74-0.90], and RR for ARBs: 0.90 [0.82-0.98]; P < 0.001), and a lower 30-day readmission rate (RR for ACEIs: 0.66 [0.60-0.73], and RR for ARBs: 0.86 [0.75-0.97]; P < 0.001), after adjustment for the propensity to take RASIs or other medications, comorbidities and other potential confounders. Results on the effect of ARBs are compromised by the small number of patients. Analyses of recurrent hospitalisations gave larger treatment benefits than time-to-first-event analyses. CONCLUSION: In this propensity-matched study, commencing treatment with ACEIs is associated with an improved prognosis of patients newly diagnosed with incident HFpEF.

Prognosis of heart failure treated with digoxin or with ivabradine: A cohort study in the community.

BACKGROUND: Resting heart rate (HR) reduction with ivabradine (IVA) improves outcomes of patients with heart failure and reduced ejection fraction (HFrEF). Nevertheless, the best option to slow HR in patients with HFrEF treated with beta-blockers and a HR >70 bpm is unsettled. AIMS: To evaluate whether, in patients with HFrEF, commencing therapy with digoxin (CT-DIG) is associated to a worse prognosis than commencing treatment with ivabradine (CT-IVA). METHODS: Observational study over 10 years on 2364 patients with HFrEF in sinus rhythm and a HR >70 bpm. Main outcomes were mortality, hospitalisations and visits. We analyse the independent relationship of CT-DIG or CT-IVA with the prognosis, stratifying patients for cardiovascular comorbidity, and for other potential confounders (378 patients who CT-DIG vs another 355 patients who CT-IVA vs another 1631 patients non-exposed to IVA or DIG). RESULTS: During a median follow-up of 57.5 months, 1751 patients (74.1%) died, and 2151 (91.0%) were hospitalised for HF. CT-DIG or CT-IVA was associated with a lower all-cause mortality (DIG: HR = 0.86 [95% CI, 0.82-0.90], and IVA: HR = 0.88 [0.83-0.93]), cardiovascular mortality (DIG: HR = 0.84 [0.80-0.89] and IVA: HR = 0.83 [0.78-0.89]), hospitalisation (DIG: HR = 0.86 [0.83-0.89] and IVA: HR = 0.87 [0.83-0.91]) and 30-day readmission (DIG: HR = 0.84 [0.79-0.90] and IVA: HR = 0.88 [0.79-0.95]), after adjustment for cardiovascular comorbidity, and other potential confounders. These associations with the prognosis of HFrEF did not differ between patients who CT-DIG and those who CT-IVA. CONCLUSION: Commencing therapy with digoxin or with ivabradine is associated with an improved prognosis of patients with HFrEF.

Prognosis of heart failure with preserved ejection fraction treated with ß-blockers: A propensity matched study in the community.

BACKGROUND: The effect of treatment with ß-blockers on the prognosis of patients newly diagnosed with heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF) is unknown. OBJECTIVE: To analyze the relationship of commencing treatment with the ß-blockers bisoprolol or carvedilol (CT-ßB) with the prognosis of newly diagnosed HFpEF. METHODS: Prospective study over 10years on 2704 patients with HFpEF. Main outcomes were mortality (all-cause and cardiovascular), hospitalizations for HF worsening, and visits. The independent relationship between CT-ßB and the prognosis, stratifying patients for cardiovascular co-morbidity after propensity score-matching (985 patients CT-ßB vs. another 985 patients non-CT-ßB), was analyzed. RESULTS: During a median follow-up of 1877.4days (interquartile range, 1-3651.2) 1600 died (81.2%), and 1702 were hospitalized (86.4%). CT-ßB was associated with a lower risk of mortality (all-cause: HR [CI 95%] 0.78 [0.71 to 0.85], and cardiovascular: 0.75 [0.69 to 0.82]), a lower hospitalization rate (per 100 persons-year), 15.8 vs. 19.2, and a lower 30-day readmission rate (per 100 persons-year), 4.0 vs. 5.8, (P<0.001 in all cases), even after adjustment for the propensity to take ß-blockers or other medications, comorbidities, and other potential confounders. These effects of CT-ßB were independent of gender, and were observed in both patients taking high dose ßB (over the median dose) and lower dose ßB (under or equal to the median dose). CONCLUSIONS: In this propensity matched study, commencing treatment with bisoprolol or carvedilol, both at high and at lower doses, is associated with an improved prognosis of patients newly diagnosed with HFpEF.