Characteristics and management of very elderly patients with heart failure: a retrospective, population cohort study.

AIMS: Unmet needs exist in the diagnosis and treatment of heart failure (HF) in the elderly population. Our aim was to analyse and compare data of diagnostics and management of very elderly patients (aged ≥85 years) compared with younger patients (aged 18-84 years) with HF in Sweden. METHODS: Incidence of ≥2 HF diagnosis (ICD-10) was identified from primary/secondary care in Uppsala and Västerbotten during 2010-2015 via electronic medical records linked to data from national health registers. Analyses investigated the diagnosis, treatment patterns, hospitalizations and outpatient visits, and mortality. RESULTS: Of 8702 patients, 27.7% were ≥85 years old, women (60.2%); most patients (80.7%) had unknown left ventricular ejection fraction; key co-morbidities comprised anaemia, dementia, and cerebrovascular disease. More very elderly patients received cardiovascular disease (CVD)-related management after diagnosis in primary care (13.6% vs. 6.5%; P < 0.0001), but fewer patients underwent echocardiography (19.3% vs. 42.9%; P < 0.0001). Within 1 year of diagnosis, very elderly patients were less likely to be hospitalized (all-cause admissions per patient: 1.9 vs. 2.3; P < 0.0001; CVD-related admissions per patient: 1.8 vs. 2.1; P = 0.0004) or prescribed an angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitor/angiotensin receptor blocker (ACEI/ARB) plus a ß-blocker (45.2% vs. 56.9%; P < 0.0001) or an ACEI/ARB plus a ß-blocker plus a mineralocorticoid receptor antagonist (15.4% vs. 31.7%; P < 0.0001). One-year mortality was high in patients ≥85 years old, 30.5% (CI: 28.3-32.7%) out of 1797 patients. CONCLUSIONS: Despite the large number of very elderly patients with newly diagnosed HF in Sweden, poor diagnostic work-up and subsequent treatment highlight the inequality of care in this vulnerable population.

Healthcare resource utilisation and costs associated with a heart failure diagnosis: a retrospective, population-based cohort study in Sweden.

OBJECTIVES: To examine healthcare resource use (HRU) and costs among heart failure (HF) patients using population data from Sweden. DESIGN: Retrospective, non-interventional cohort study. SETTING: Two cohorts were identified from linked national health registers (cohort 1, 2005-2014) and electronic medical records (cohort 2, 2010-2012; primary/secondary care patients from Uppsala and Västerbotten). PARTICIPANTS: Patients (aged ≥18 years) with primary or secondary diagnoses of HF (≥2 International Classification of Diseases and Related Health Problems, 10th revision classification) during the identification period of January 2005 to March 2015 were included. OUTCOME MEASURES: HRU across the HF phenotypes was assessed with logistic regression. Costs were estimated based on diagnosis-related group codes and general price lists. RESULTS: Total annual costs of secondary care of prevalent HF increased from SEK 6.23 (€0.60) to 8.86 (€0.85) billion between 2005 and 2014. Of 4648 incident patients, HF phenotype was known for 1715: reduced ejection fraction (HFrEF): 64.5%, preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF): 35.5%. Within 1 year of HF diagnosis, the proportion of patients hospitalised was only marginally higher for HFrEF versus HFpEF (all-cause (95% CI): 64.7% (60.8 to 68.4) vs 63.7% (60.8 to 66.5), HR 0.91, p=0.14; cardiovascular disease related (95% CI): 61.1% (57.1 to 64.8) vs 60.9% (58.0 to 63.7), HR 0.93, p=0.28). Frequency of hospitalisations and outpatient visits per patient declined after the first year. All-cause secondary care costs in the first year were SEK 122 758 (€12 890)/patient/year, with HF-specific care accounting for 69% of the costs. Overall, 10% of the most expensive population (younger; predominantly male; more likely to have comorbidities) incurred ~40% of total secondary care costs. CONCLUSIONS: HF-associated costs and HRU are high, especially during the first year of diagnosis. This is driven by high hospitalisations rates. Understanding the profile of resource-intensive patients being at younger age, male sex and high Charlson comorbidity index scores at the time of the HF diagnosis is most likely a sign of more severe disease.

Recurrent heart failure hospitalizations increase the risk of cardiovascular and all-cause mortality in patients with heart failure in Sweden: a real-world study.

AIMS: Heart failure (HF) is a leading cause of hospitalization and is associated with high morbidity and mortality. We examined the impact of recurrent HF hospitalizations (HFHs) on cardiovascular (CV) mortality among patients with HF in Sweden. METHODS AND RESULTS: Adults with incident HF were identified from linked national health registers and electronic medical records from 01 January 2005 to 31 December 2013 for Uppsala and until 31 December 2014 for Västerbotten. CV mortality and all-cause mortality were evaluated. A time-dependent Cox regression model was used to estimate relative CV mortality rates for recurrent HFHs. Assessment was also done for ejection fraction-based HF phenotypes and for comorbid atrial fibrillation, diabetes, or chronic renal impairment. Overall, 3878 patients with HF having an index hospitalization were included, providing 9691.9 patient-years of follow-up. Patients were relatively old (median age: 80 years) and were more frequently male (55.5%). Compared with patients without recurrent HFHs, the adjusted hazard ratio (HR [95% confidence interval; CI]) for CV mortality and all-cause mortality were statistically significant for patients with one, two, three, and four or more recurrent HFHs. The risk of CV mortality and all-cause mortality increased approximately six-fold in patients with four or more recurrent HFHs vs. those without any HFHs (HR [95% CI]: 6.26 [5.24-7.48] and 5.59 [4.70-6.64], respectively). Similar patterns were observed across the HF phenotypes and patients with comorbidities. CONCLUSIONS: There is a strong association between recurrent HFHs and CV and all-cause mortality, with the risk increasing progressively with each recurrent HFH.

Epidemiology of heart failure and trends in diagnostic work-up: a retrospective, population-based cohort study in Sweden.

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to examine the trends in heart failure (HF) epidemiology and diagnostic work-up in Sweden. METHODS: Adults with incident HF (≥2 ICD-10 diagnostic codes) were identified from linked national health registers (cohort 1, 2005-2013) and electronic medical records (cohort 2, 2010-2015; primary/secondary care patients from Uppsala and Västerbotten). Trends in annual HF incidence rate and prevalence, risk of all-cause and cardiovascular disease (CVD)-related 1-year mortality and use of diagnostic tests 6 months before and after first HF diagnosis (cohort 2) were assessed. RESULTS: Baseline demographic and clinical characteristics were similar for cohort 1 (N=174,537) and 2 (N=8,702), with mean ages of 77.4 and 76.6 years, respectively; almost 30% of patients were aged ≥85 years. From 2010 to 2014, age-adjusted annual incidence rate of HF/1,000 inhabitants decreased (from 3.20 to 2.91, cohort 1; from 4.34 to 3.33, cohort 2), while age-adjusted prevalence increased (from 1.61% to 1.72% and from 2.15% to 2.18%, respectively). Age-adjusted 1-year all-cause and CVD-related mortality was higher in men than in women among patients in cohort 1 (all-cause mortality hazard ratio [HR] men vs women 1.07 [95% CI 1.06-1.09] and CVD-related mortality subdistribution HR for men vs women 1.04 [95% CI 1.02-1.07], respectively). While 83.5% of patients underwent N-terminal pro-B-type natriuretic peptide testing, only 36.4% of patients had an echocardiogram at the time of diagnosis, although this increased overtime. In the national prevalent HF population (patients with a diagnosis in 1997-2004 who survived into the analysis period; N=273,999), death from ischemic heart disease and myocardial infarction declined between 2005 and 2013, while death from HF and atrial fibrillation/flutter increased (P<0.0001 for trends over time). CONCLUSION: The annual incidence rate of HF declined over time, while prevalence of HF has increased, suggesting that patients with HF were surviving longer over time. Our study confirms that previously reported epidemiological trends persist and remain to ensure proper diagnostic evaluation and management of patients with HF.

NTproBNP and ST2 as predictors for all-cause and cardiovascular mortality in elderly patients with symptoms suggestive for heart failure.

BACKGROUND: A new biomarker, suppression of tumorigenicity 2 (ST2) has been introduced as a marker for fibrosis and hypertrophy. Its clinical value in comparison with N-terminal pro-hormone of brain natriuretic peptide /Amino-terminal pro-B-type natriuretic peptide (NTproBNP) in predicting mortality in elderly patients with symptoms of heart failure (HF) is still unclear. AIM: To evaluate the prognostic value for all-cause- and cardiovascular mortality of ST2 or NTproBNP and the combination of these biomarkers. PATIENTS AND METHODS: One hundred seventy patients patients with clinical symptoms of HF (77 (45%) were with verified HF) were recruited from one selected primary health care center (PHC) in Sweden and echocardiography was performed in all patients. Blood samples were obtained from 159 patients and stored frozen at -70 °C. NTproBNP was analyzed at a central core laboratory using a clinically available immunoassay.ST2 was analyzed with Critical Diagnostics Presage ST2 ELISA immunoassay. RESULTS: We studied 159 patients (mean age 77 ± 8.3 years, 70% women). During ten years of follow up 78 patients had died, out of which 50 deaths were for cardiovascular reasons. Continuous NTproBNP and ST2 were both significantly associated with all-cause mortality (1.0001; 1.00001-1.0002, p = 0.04 and 1.03; 1.003-1.06, p = 0.03), NTproBNP but not ST2 remained significant for cardiovascular mortality after adjustments (1.0001; 1.00001-1.0002, p = 0.03 and 1.01; 0.77-1.06, p = 0.53), respectively. NTproBNP above median (>328 ng/L) compared to below median was significantly associated with all-cause mortality(HR: 4.0; CI :2.46-6.61; p < 0.001) and cardiovascular mortality (HR: 6.1; CI: 3.11-11.95; p < 0.001). Corresponding analysis for ST2 above median (25.6 ng/L) was not significantly associated neither with all-cause mortality (HR; 1.4; CI: 0.89-2.77) nor cardiovascular mortality (HR: 1.3; CI: 0.73-2.23) and no significant interaction of NTproBNP and ST2 (OR: 1.1; CI: 0.42-3.12) was found. CONCLUSION: In elderly patients with symptoms of heart failure ST2 was not superior to NTproBNP to predict all cause or cardiovascular mortality. Furthermore, it is unclear if the combination of ST2 and NTproBNP will improve long-term prognostication beyond what is achieved by NTproBNP alone.

Anaemia, but not iron deficiency, is associated with clinical symptoms and quality of life in patients with severe heart failure and palliative home care: A substudy of the PREFER trial.

BACKGROUND: To explore the relationships between anaemia or iron deficiency (ID) and symptoms, quality of life (QoL), morbidity, and mortality. METHODS: A post-hoc, non-prespecified, explorative substudy of the prospective randomized PREFER trial. One centre study of outpatients with severe HF and palliative need managed with advanced home care. Associations between anaemia, ID, and the Edmonton Symptom Assessment Scale (ESAS), Euro QoL (EQ-5D), Kansas City Cardiomyopathy Questions (KCCQ) were examined only at baseline but at 6months for morbidity and mortality. RESULTS: Seventy-two patients (51 males, 21 females), aged 79.2±9.1years. Thirty-nine patients (54%) had anaemia and 34 had ID (47%). Anaemia was correlated to depression (r=0.37; p=0.001), anxiety (r=0.25; p=0.04), and reduced well-being (r=0.26; p=0.03) in the ESAS; mobility (r=0.33; p=0.005), pain/discomfort (r=0.27; p=0.02), and visual analogue scale of health state (r=-0.28; p=0.02) in the EQ-5D; and physical limitation (r=-0.27; p=0.02), symptom stability; (r=-0.43; p<0.001); (r=-0.25; p=0.033), social limitation;(r=-0.26; p=0.03), overall summary score; (r=-0.24, p=0.046) and clinical summary score; (r=-0.27; p=0.02) in the KCCQ. ID did not correlate to any assessment item. Anaemia was univariably associated with any hospitalization (OR: 3.0; CI: 1.05-8.50, p=0.04), but not to mortality. ID was not significantly associated with any hospitalization or mortality. CONCLUSION: Anaemia, but not ID, was associated although weakly with symptoms and QoL in patients with advanced HF and palliative home care.

The effect of basal insulin glargine on the fibrinolytic system and von Willebrand factor in people with dysglycaemia and high risk for cardiovascular events: Swedish substudy of the Outcome Reduction with an Initial Glargine Intervention trial.

INTRODUCTION: Fibrinolytic factors, plasminogen activator inhibitor-1, tissue plasminogen activator, tissue plasminogen activator/plasminogen activator-complex and the haemostatic factor von Willebrand factor are known markers of cardiovascular disease. Their plasma levels are adversely affected in patients with dysglycaemia, and glucose normalization with insulin glargine might improve the levels of these factors. METHODS: Prespecified Swedish substudy of the Outcome Reduction with an Initial Glargine Intervention trial (ClinicalTrials.gov number, NCT00069784). Tissue plasminogen activator activity, tissue plasminogen activator antigen, plasminogen activator inhibitor-1 antigen, tissue plasminogen activator/plasminogen activator inhibitor-1 complex and von Willebrand factor were analysed at study start, after 2 years and at the end of the study (median follow-up of 6.2 years). RESULTS: Of 129 patients (mean age of 64 ± 7 years, females: 19%), 68 (53%) and 61 (47%) were randomized to the insulin glargine and standard care group, respectively. Allocation to insulin glargine did not significantly affect the studied fibrinolytic markers or von Willebrand factor compared to standard care. Likewise, there were no significant differences in plasminogen activator inhibitor-1, tissue plasminogen activator antigen and von Willebrand factor. During the whole study period, the within-group analysis revealed a curvilinear pattern and significant changes for tissue plasminogen activator/plasminogen activator inhibitor-1 complex, tissue plasminogen activator antigen and von Willebrand factor in the insulin glargine but not in the standard care group. CONCLUSION: In people with dysglycaemia and other cardiovascular risk factors, basal insulin does not improve the levels of markers of fibrinolysis or von Willebrand factor compared to standard glucose-lowering treatments.

Robot-assisted remote echocardiographic examination and teleconsultation: a randomized comparison of time to diagnosis with standard of care referral approach.

The strategy using cardiological consultation in addition to the robot-assisted remote echocardiography at a distance was tested in a prospective, randomized open-label trial to evaluate its feasibility and to define its clinical value in a rural area. The present study involved 1 primary healthcare center in the north of Sweden, 135 miles from the hospital where the echocardiograms and the cardiology teleconsultation were performed long distance in real time. Nineteen patients were randomized to remote consultation and imaging, and 19 to the standard of care consultation. The total process time was significantly reduced in the former arm (median 114 days vs. 26.5 days; p < 0.001). The time from randomization until attaining a specialist consultation was also significantly reduced (p < 0.001). The patients' satisfaction was reassuring; they considered that the remote consultation strategy offered an increased rapidity of diagnosis and the likelihood of receiving faster management compared with the standard of care at the primary healthcare center.

Telemedicine improves the monitoring process in anticoagulant treatment.

We compared the INR (International Normalized Ratio) monitoring process using a telemedicine device with the conventional approach in which blood samples were sent to the hospital for analysis. We conducted a randomized controlled trial. We enrolled 40 patients on chronic warfarin therapy from two primary healthcare centres (PHCs). Half were monitored using the telemedicine device and half were monitored conventionally. Each patient received three INR measurements. The total processing time was measured from blood sampling until warfarin dosing was performed in the anticoagulant clinic. The median total processing time was significantly shorter with telemedicine than usual care (34 vs. 260 min, P < 0.001). This was mainly because sample transport was avoided using the point-of-care device and automatic data transmission. Telemedicine reduced the total processing time for INR monitoring and has the potential to improve the management of patients undergoing anticoagulant treatment at PHCs.

Usefulness of natriuretic peptides in primary health care: an exploratory study in elderly patients.

OBJECTIVE: To explore the negative predictive value (NPV), positive predictive value (PPV), sensitivity, and specificity of natriuretic peptides, cut-off levels, and the impact of gender and age in elderly patients with systolic heart failure (HF). DESIGN: Cross-sectional exploratory study. SETTING: One primary healthcare centre. PATIENTS: A total of 109 patients with symptoms of HF were referred for echocardiographic examination with a cardiovascular consultation. Systolic HF was diagnosed (ESC guidelines) in 48 patients (46% men, 54% women, mean age 79 years) while 61 patients (21% men, 79% women, mean age 76 years) had no HF. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: NPV, PPV, sensitivity, specificity, and cut-off levels. RESULTS: Including all 109 patients, NPV was 88% for NT-proBNP (200 ng/L) and 87% for BNP (20 pg/ml). PPV was 81% for NT-proBNP (500 ng/L) and 68% for BNP (50 pg/ml). Sensitivity was 96% for NT-proBNP (100 ng/L) and 96% for BNP (10-20 pg/ml). Specificity was 87% for NT-proBNP (500 ng/L) and 71% for BNP (50 pg/ml). Nt-proBNP (beta = 0.035; p < 0.001) and BNP (beta = 0.030; p < 0.001) were associated with age, but not with gender. In a multivariate analysis age (beta = 0.036; p < 0.001) and male gender (beta = 0.270; p = 0.014) were associated with NT-proBNP, but only age for BNP (beta = 0.030; p < 0.001). CONCLUSION: Natriuretic peptides in an elderly population showed high NPVs, but not as high as in younger patients with HF in other studies. Age and male gender were associated with higher levels of NT-proBNP while only age was related to elevated BNP levels.

Effects of atenolol or losartan on fibrinolysis and von Willebrand factor in hypertensive patients with left ventricular hypertrophy.

OBJECTIVES: To compare the effects of the beta-blocker atenolol with the angiotensin receptor blocker (ARB) losartan on plasma tissue-type plasminogen activator (tPA) activity and mass concentration, plasminogen activator inhibitor-1 (PAI-1) activity, tPA/PAI-1 complex, and von Willebrand factor (VWF). DESIGN: A prespecified, explorative substudy in 22 patients with hypertension and left ventricular hypertrophy (LVH) performed within randomized multicenter, double-blind prospective study. RESULTS: After a median of 36 weeks of treatment, there were significant differences between the treatment groups, atenolol versus losartan, in plasma median levels of tPA mass (11.9 vs 7.3 ng/mL, P = .019), PAI-1 activity (20.7 vs 4.8 IU/mL, P = .030), and tPA/PAI-1 complex (7.1 vs 2.5 ng/mL, P = .015). In patients treated with atenolol, median levels of tPA mass (8.9-11.9 ng/mL, P = .021) and VWF (113.5%-134.3%, P = .021) increased significantly, indicating a change toward a more prothrombotic state. No significant changes occurred in the losartan group. CONCLUSION: Losartan treatment was associated with preserved fibrinolytic balance compared to a more prothrombotic fibrinolytic and hemostatic state in the atenolol group. These findings suggest different fibrinolytic and hemostatic responses to treatment in hypertensive patients with LVH.

Is cardiac consultation with remote-controlled real-time echocardiography a wise use of resources?

Northern Sweden is a sparsely populated area with six hospitals and about 50 healthcare centers. The elderly population is a large proportion of the total of population, and the incidence of cardiovascular disease is high. The objective of this research was to analyze the costs and benefits of cardiac consultation in healthcare centers involving long-distance, remote-controlled, real-time echocardiography. The distance diagnostics were developed and tested in two healthcare centers. Experiences of the feasibility of this approach were used as a basis for an economic analysis with regard to heart failure. The societal costs for two different systems were calculated, namely, traditional hospital diagnosis versus distance diagnosis using the new system. The potential prime gainers were the patients. Their traveling time, and thereby their time costs, were significantly reduced. The quality of care may also have been improved. From the health authorities' perspective, the costs of the two systems were approximately equal. Since county council costs are not greatly affected, the large reduction in patient travel time and the improved quality of care ought to be a sufficient incentive for large-scale tests.

Exercise and cardiovascular outcomes in hypertensive patients in relation to structure and function of left ventricular hypertrophy: the LIFE study.

BACKGROUND: Exercise lowers blood pressure and improves cardiovascular function, but little is known about whether exercise impacts cardiovascular morbidity and mortality independent of left ventricular hypertrophy (LVH) and LV geometry. DESIGN: Observational analysis of prospectively obtained echocardiographic data within the context of a randomized trial of antihypertensive treatment. METHODS: A total of 937 hypertensive patients with ECG LVH were studied by echocardiography in the Losartan Intervention For Endpoint reduction in hypertension study. Baseline exercise status was categorized as sedentary (never exercise), intermediate (30 min twice/week). During 4.8-year follow-up, 105 patients suffered the primary composite endpoint of myocardial infarction (MI), stroke, or cardiovascular death. MI occurred in 39, stroke in 60, and cardiovascular death in 33 patients. RESULTS: Sedentary individuals (n = 212) had, compared with those physically active (n = 511), higher heart rate (P<0.001), weight (P<0.001), body surface area (P = 0.02), body mass index (P<0.001), LV mass (LVM, P = 0.04), LVM indexed for height or body surface area (P = 0.004); thicker ventricular septum (P = 0.012) and posterior wall (P = 0.016); and larger left atrium (P = 0.006). Systolic variables did not differ. In Cox regression analysis, physically active compared with sedentary patients had lower risk of primary composite endpoint [odds ratio (OR): 0.42, 95% confidence interval (CI): 0.26-0.68, P < 0.001], cardiovascular death (OR: 0.50, 95% CI: 0.22-0.1.10, NS), and stroke (OR: 0.26, 95% CI: 0.13-0.49, P < 0.001) without significant difference for MI (OR: 0.79, 95% CI: 0.35-1.75, NS) independent of systolic blood pressure, LVM index, or treatment. CONCLUSION: In hypertensive patients with LVH, physically active patients had improved prognosis for cardiovascular endpoints, mortality, and stroke that was independent of LVM.

Remote-controlled robotic arm for real-time echocardiography: the diagnostic future for patients in rural areas?

There exists a great clinical need for improving specialist consultation and utilization of echocardiography in areas remote from hospital-based care. This paper presents the development and first technical assessment of a concept of cardiovascular consultation utilizing long distance, real-time echocardiography as a diagnostic tool in rural areas. The development of CARdiological consultation at a DISTance (CARDISTA) was achieved in three stages, comprising tests of different broadband infrastructures, videoconference systems, microphones, cameras, monitors, and loudspeakers. The CARDISTA concept includes a cardiologist and a sonographer, a robotic arm (Medirob), a portable ultrasound machine, and presently available information technology using an advanced broadband backbone. The three stages provided, with some remaining doubts, echocardiographic examination at a distance comparable to hospital-based examinations. A continuous broadband capacity of 20 megabits per second (Mbps) seemed to be a vital component of CARDISTA for achieving the highest-quality imaging. With this broadband capacity, it was possible to achieve a transmission delay below 200 ms. The technical tests of the CARDISTA concept revealed promising results in enabling long distance real-time echocardiography for specialist consultation. CARDISTA is now ready for clinical testing and evaluation in rural areas for patients with heart diseases, especially heart failure.

Are elderly patients with suspected HF misdiagnosed? A primary health care center study.

BACKGROUND: Few studies are published on heart failure patients in primary health care, in elderly in advanced age. OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to examine the accuracy of the diagnosis of heart failure in all men and women with focus on age and gender. METHODS: The patients were recruited from one selected primary health care in the city of Skellefteå, Sweden. The general practitioners included all patients who had symptoms and signs indicating heart failure. The patients were then referred for an echocardiographic examination and a final cardiology consultation. RESULTS: The general practitioners identified 121 women and 49 men with suspected heart failure of whom 39% (51 women and 16 men) were above 80 years. Women were significantly older than men (mean age 78 and 75 years, respectively, p = 0.03). The main symptom was dyspnoea (80%). Confirmed heart failure was verified in 45% of the patients and was significantly more common in men than women (p = 0.02). Of all men and women above 80 years, 75% and 22%, respectively (p = 0.01) had a verified systolic heart failure, while there were no significant gender differences in patients younger than 80. In a multivariate regression analysis taking gender, age, smoking, atrial fibrillation, hypertension, angina, myocardial infarction and diabetes into account, myocardial infarction (OR = 4.3, CL = 1.8-10.6) hypertension (OR = 3.4, CI = 1.6-6.9) atrial fibrillation (OR = 2.8, CL = 1.0-7.9) remained significantly predictive of a confirmed diagnosis of heart failure. CONCLUSION: This study showed the difficulty of diagnosing heart failure accurately based only on clinical symptoms, especially in women above 80 years.

Fatigue and health-related quality of life in elderly patients with and without heart failure in primary healthcare.

BACKGROUND: Patients with heart failure (HF) in primary healthcare are in many respects not comparable to those in specialized care and the knowledge about different patient groups with and without HF is limited. AIMS: To compare fatigue and health-related quality of life (Hr-QoL) when adjusting for age, gender and social provision in patients with confirmed HF (n=49) to a group of patients with symptoms indicating HF but without HF (NHF, n=59) and to an age-and sex-matched control-group (n=40). METHOD: A questionnaire including the Multidimensional Fatigue Inventory, the SF-36, and the Social Provisions Scale was used. RESULTS: The average age in all groups was 78 years. Patients in the HF and NHF groups reported worse physical QoL and more general and physical fatigue than the control group. HF patients had worse general health than the NHF group. CONCLUSION: Elderly patients in primary healthcare with confirmed heart failure and patients with symptoms similar to heart failure perceived they had a significantly worse physical QoL and more general and physical fatigue than an age- and sex-matched control group. The similarities between the patient groups indicate the importance of the symptom experience for Hr-QoL.

Gender makes a difference in the description of dyspnoea in patients with chronic heart failure.

BACKGROUND: Dyspnoea is a common symptom of chronic heart failure (CHF). In the community setting, patients with CHF are most often women. AIM: To examine the impact of gender on the description of dyspnoea and to explore which clinical variables support a diagnosis of CHF. METHODS: From four primary health care centres, 158 patients with CHF were included. Patients were examined with echocardiography and a cardiologist assessed the diagnosis of CHF. The patients filled in a questionnaire containing 11 descriptors of dyspnoea. RESULTS: A diagnosis of CHF was confirmed in 87 (55%) patients (47 males and 40 females). One descriptor, I feel that I am suffocating, was significantly scored higher in CHF patients (p=0.014) as compared to non-CHF patients. Three descriptors, My breath does not go in all the way (p=0.006), I feel that I am suffocating (p=0.040), and I cannot get enough air (p=0.0327) were significantly scored higher among men with CHF, compared to no descriptor among women with CHF. Being male (OR=2.7; CI: 1.3-5.6, p=0.008), having diabetes (OR=5.6; CI: 1.7-18.2, p=0.004), IHD (OR=3.3; CI: 1.3-8.5, p=0.014), and a borderline significance for age (OR=1.04; CI: 0.99-1.08, p=0.058) predicted a confirmed diagnosis of CHF. CONCLUSION: Three descriptors of dyspnoea were associated with CHF among men, whereas no such association was found among women. Our results suggest that gender is an important factor and should-together with age, underlying heart disease, and diabetes-be taken into account when symptoms are evaluated in the diagnosis of CHF in primary care.

Left ventricular structure and function in sedentary and physically active subjects with left ventricular hypertrophy (the LIFE Study).

Patients with left ventricular hypertrophy had higher heart rates, left ventricular mass, and left atrial size independent of gender, blood pressure, or body mass index than physically active patients.