Clinical factors affecting long term survival in patients with systolic heart failure and cardiac resynchronization therapy in advanced age

Pol Merkur Lekarski. 2018 Dec 28;45(270):220-225.

Abstract

Identification of demographic and clinical factors which influence prognosis is crucial in patients with heart failure and cardiac resynchronization therapy (CRT).

Materials and methods: The study included 223 patients with CRT (177 males), mean age 64.6±9.7 years, including 98 patients (43.9%) with defibrillation function (CRT-D) and 58 (26.0%) with permanent atrial fibrillation (AF). Of 223, n=72 patients (32.3%) had CRT implanted after the age of 70. The mean follow-up was 37±19 months. Mortality rates and other clinical factors according to age were assessed in multivariable analysis of CRT patients follow-up.

Results: Total mortality was 30.9%. Mortality rate was similar in subjects aged ≤70 and >70 (HR:1.41, 95%CI:0.70-2.82). The female gender was the strongest clinical factor of best prognosis (HR:0.12,95%CI:0.03-0.59, p=0.0088). Lower mortality was also associated with higher left ventricular ejection fraction (HR:0.94,95%CI:0.90-0.98, p=0.0031). Coronary disease (HR:2.09,95%CI:1.10-3.99, p=0.0245), chronic kidney disease (HR:3.00, 95%CI:1.47-6.12, p=0.0024)and higher NYHA class (HR:2.28, 95%CI:1.18-4.40, p=0.0137) were factors of increased mortality. For patients >70 years old, gender was not a survival determining factor and mortality was lower in regard to hypertension or permanent AF. Only chronic kidney disease was significantly associated with higher mortality in patients >70 years old (HR:6.74, 95%CI:1.90-23.9). The use of defibrillation function had no influence on survival rate at any age.

Conclusions: In patients with cardiac resynchronization therapy female gender was not associated with mortality and was the factor of better prognosis. For subjects aged >70 a worse prognosis was related to renal insufficiency.

Keywords: age; cardiac resynchronization therapy; mortality; prognostic factors.

MeSH terms

  • Aged
  • Atrial Fibrillation*
  • Cardiac Resynchronization Therapy*
  • Female
  • Heart Failure*
  • Heart Failure, Systolic* / therapy
  • Humans
  • Male
  • Middle Aged
  • Prognosis
  • Risk Factors
  • Treatment Outcome
  • Ventricular Function, Left