Despite landmark heart failure (HF) with reduced ejection fraction (HFrEF) trials showing effect of mineralocorticoid receptor antagonists (MRA) on the risk of death and HF hospitalization, it has been suggested that MRAs are underutilized or frequently withdrawn. This study sought to identify temporal trends in the initiation of MRAs and the subsequent risk of withdrawal and adherence of MRAs in HF patients treated with a renin-angiotensin system inhibitor and a beta-blocker in Denmark from 2003-2017.

Background: In Danish administrative registers, ejection fraction (EF) is not recorded, which is a considerable limitation for correct subclassification of patients with heart failure (HF). We hypothesized that a diagnosis of HF combined with the recorded prescription of both renin-angiotensin system (RAS) inhibitors and beta-blockers (RASi+BB) within 120 days could identify patients with HF and reduced ejection fraction (EF ≤40%) (HFrEF). Methods: On two sites, we identified all patients with a first-time registration of HF as primary hospital discharge diagnosis (ICD-10: I50) between June 1, 2016, and May 31, 2018 in inpatient or outpatient settings. Patients were included if they survived the initial 120 days after discharge. Reviewing patient records, we identified patients with HFrEF, based on EF ≤ 40% and reported HF symptoms. We registered the use of RASi+BB at 120 days and calculated sensitivity, specificity and predictive values. Results: A total of 704 consecutive patients with a primary diagnosis of HF were included, of whom 541 (77%) fulfilled the HFrEF criteria. Patients with HFrEF confirmed from patient records were younger (median age 73 compared to 79 years) and less frequently women (31% compared to 56%) compared to non-HFrEF patients. At baseline, 24 (4%) of HFrEF patients were treated with RASi+BB compared to 22 (14%) of non-HFrEF patients. At 120 days, 460 (85%) of HFrEF patients received RASi+BB as compared to 25 (15%) of non-HFrEF patients. This resulted in a positive predictive value of 95%, sensitivity of 85% and specificity of 85%. Conclusion:In Denmark, the ICD-10 HF diagnosis combined with recorded RASi+BB treatment by 120 days after discharge has high positive predictive value and can accurately be used to identify patients with HFrEF.

Background: Factors determining referral for advanced heart failure (HF) evaluation are poorly studied. We studied the influence of socioeconomic aspects on the referral process in Denmark, which has a taxpayer-funded national health care system. Methods: We identified all patients aged 18 to 75 years with a first diagnosis of HF during 2010 to 2018. Hospitalized patients had to be discharged alive and were then followed for the outcome of undergoing a right heart catheterization (RHC) used as a surrogate marker of advanced HF work-up. Results: Of 36 637 newly diagnosed patients with HF, 680 (1.9%) underwent RHC during the follow-up period (median time to RHC of 280 days [interquartile range, 73–914]). Factors associated with a higher likelihood of RHC included the highest versus lowest household income quartile (HR, 1.56 [95% CI, 1.19–2.06]; P =0.001), being diagnosed with HF at a tertiary versus nontertiary hospital (HR, 1.68 [95% CI, 1.37–2.05]; P <0.001) and during a hospitalization versus outpatient visit (HR, 1.67 [95% CI, 1.42–1.95]; P <0.001). Level of education, occupational status, and distance to tertiary hospital were not independently associated with RHC. Older age, cancer, and a psychiatric diagnosis were independently associated with a decreased probability of RHC. Conclusions: Higher household income, HF diagnosis during hospitalization, and first admission at a tertiary hospital were associated with increased likelihood of subsequent referral for RHC independent of other demographic and clinical variables. Greater attention may be required to ensure timely referral for advanced HF therapies in lower income groups.

Aim To investigate temporal trends in in-patient versus out-patient diagnosis of new-onset heart failure (HF) and the subsequent risk of death and hospitalization. Methods and results Using nationwide registers, 192,581 patients with a first diagnosis of HF (1997–2017) were included. We computed incidences of HF, age-standardized mortality rates, and absolute risks (AR) of death and hospitalization (accounting for competing risk of death) to understand the importance of the diagnosis setting in relation to subsequent mortality and hospitalization. The overall incidence of HF was approximately the same (170/100,000 persons) every year during 1997–2017. However, in 1997, 77% of all first diagnoses of HF were made during a hospitalization, whereas the proportion was 39% in 2017. As in-patient diagnoses decreased, out-patient diagnoses increased from 23% to 61%. Out-patients had lower mortality and hospitalization rates than in-patients throughout the study period, although the 1-year age-standardized mortality rate decreased for each of in-patients (24 to 14/100-person) and out-patients (11 to 7/100-person). 1-year and 5-year AR of death decreased by 11.1% and 17.0%, respectively, for all HF patients, while the risk of hospitalization for HF did not decrease significantly (1.13% and 0.96%, respectively). Conclusions Between 1997 and 2017, HF changed from being primarily diagnosed during hospitalization to being mostly diagnosed in the outpatient setting. Out-patients had much lower mortality rates than in-patients throughout the study period. Despite a significant decrease in mortality risk for all HF patients, neither in-patients nor out-patients experienced a reduction in the risk of a HF hospitalization.

No abstract