Long-term outcomes in hospitalized heart failure patients in China: results from the China National Heart Failure (CN-HF) registry study

There is a paucity of data on the long-term outcomes of heart failure (HF) patients in China. We aimed to investigate the incidence of cardiovascular (CV) death or rehospitalization due to worsening HF (WHF) and other outcomes among different subtypes of patients with chronic HF in China.

Data from the China National HF registry (CN-HF) during the period 1 February 2013–31 October 2015 were analyzed. Patients were categorized into three groups based on their left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF): HF with reduced ejection fraction (HFrEF, LVEF≤40%), HF with mildly reduced ejection fraction (HFmrEF, LVEF 41%–49%), and HF with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF, LVEF≥50%). Rates and risk of CV death or HF rehospitalization and other outcomes including all-cause mortality in each group were calculated and compared.

In total 7171 patients (mean age 69.6 years, 59.5% male) with HF were enrolled across 45 centers in China. At discharge, ACEIs/ARBs, β-blockers and MRA were prescribed in 57.3%, 50.8% and 54.5% HF patients totally. The overall incidence of the primary outcome (CV death or HF rehospitalization) was 8.9%, 16.1%, and 23.5% at 6, 12, and 24 months post-discharge, respectively. Significantly higher rates of the primary outcome, all-cause mortality, and HF re-hospitalization were observed in patients with HFrEF and HFmrEF compared with those with HFpEF at 6, 12, and 24 months (P < 0.05). The incidence of CV death was similar across all LVEF subgroups.