Background: Cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) are one of the main concerns of health care systems. The aim of this study was to investigate the most important prognostic factors of heart failure (HF) and their survival outcomes in patients in Birjand, East of Iran.
Methods: A total of 194 systolic HF patients hospitalized in Birjand Valiasr hospital were followed up for 12 months in 2016, and those with reduced left ventricle ejection fraction (LVEF < 50%) were included in this study. Kaplan-Meier and Cox proportional hazard analysis were used to determine the association of each factor with events.
Results: The mean age of patients was 68.23 ± 13.40 (27-95) years, and 57.2% (111 out of 194) were women. Mean survival time was 294.7 ± 9.924 days. Pervious history of myocardial infarction (MI) [2.141 (1.101-4.161)] increased the risk of cardiovascular hospitalization. Elevated blood levels of potassium [2.264 (1.438-3.564)] was found to be a risk factor for all-cause and cardiovascular mortality. Moreover, there was a reverse relationship between body height [0.942 (0.888-0.999)] and cardiovascular death. Patients with opium addiction [4.049 (1.310-12.516)] are at a higher risk of cardiovascular mortality. Lower levels of LDL-C [0.977 (0.960-0.996)] and living in rural areas [3.052 (1.039-8.964)] increased all-cause mortality levels. Lack of pervious history of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) decreased cardiovascular hospitalization [0.265 (0.062-1.122)].
Conclusion: In our study, serum potassium, LDL-C, and uric acid levels in patients with HF were identified as prognostic factors. The height of patients, which can be an indicator of the functional state of their respiratory system, and the history of COPD were also recognized as prognostic factors. Opium use and rural living were identified as social factors influencing patients' prognosis.
Keywords: Follow-Up Study; Prognostic Factors; Systolic Heart Failure.
© 2021 Isfahan Cardiovascular Research Center & Isfahan University of Medical Sciences.