Background: Clinical diagnosis of heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF) remains challenging. The aim of the study is to evaluate the value of the H2FPEF score and HFA-PEFF step E score in the diagnosis of HFpEF.
Methods: 319 hospitalised patients with 'shortness of breath' or 'dyspnoea' were retrospectively collected and scored with the above two scores, respectively. They were divided into HFpEF group and non-HFpEF group in the study.
Results: Both the negative and positive predictive value of H2FPEF score and HFA-PEFF Step E score were 95.52%, 96.83% and 98.28%, 93.63%, respectively. However, there were 189 (59.25%) and 104 (32.60%) cases could not be diagnosed or excluded in the H2FPEF score and the HFA-PEFF step E score, respectively.
Conclusions: Both scores of the H2FPEF and the HFA-PEFF step E may be used to effectively rule out or confirm HFpEF according to the score point. However, there are three fifths and one third patients in the H2FPEF score and the HFA-PEFF step E score, respectively, in the intermediate scores who are needed further invasive catheterisation or exercise stress tests.
Keywords: H2FPEF; HFA-PEFF; Heart failure; diagnosis; diagnostic criteria; heart failure with preserved ejection fraction.