Background
Data comparing outcomes in heart failure (
HF
) across Asia are limited. We examined regional variation in mortality among patients with
HF
enrolled in the
ASIAN
‐HF (Asian Sudden Cardiac Death in Heart Failure) registry with separate analyses for those with reduced ejection fraction (
EF
; <40%) versus preserved EF (≥50%).
Methods and Results
The
ASIAN
‐
HF
registry is a prospective longitudinal study. Participants with symptomatic
HF
were recruited from 46 secondary care centers in 3 Asian regions: South Asia (India), Southeast Asia (Thailand, Malaysia, Philippines, Indonesia, Singapore), and Northeast Asia (South Korea, Japan, Taiwan, Hong Kong, China). Overall, 6480 patients aged >18 years with symptomatic
HF
were recruited (mean age: 61.6±13.3 years; 27% women; 81% with HF and reduced r
EF
). The primary outcome was 1‐year all‐cause mortality. Striking regional variations in baseline characteristics and outcomes were observed. Regardless of
HF
type, Southeast Asians had the highest burden of comorbidities, particularly diabetes mellitus and chronic kidney disease, despite being younger than Northeast Asian participants. One‐year, crude, all‐cause mortality for the whole population was 9.6%, higher in patients with HF and reduced
EF
(10.6%) than in those with
HF
and preserved
EF
(5.4%). One‐year, all‐cause mortality was significantly higher in Southeast Asian patients (13.0%), compared with South Asian (7.5%) and Northeast Asian patients (7.4%;
P
<0.001). Well‐known predictors of death accounted for only 44.2% of the variation in risk of mortality.
Conclusions
This first multinational prospective study shows that the outcomes in Asian patients with both HF and reduced or preserved
EF
are poor overall and worst in Southeast Asian patients. Region‐specific risk factors and gaps in guideline‐directed therapy should be addressed to potentially improve outcomes.
Clinical Trial Registration
URL
:
https://www.clinicaltrials.gov/
. Unique identifier:
NCT
01633398.
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