A cohort study: temporal trends in prevalence of antecedents, comorbidities and mortality in Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal Australians with first heart failure hospitalization, 2000-2009

Global Comparison of Readmission Rates for Patients With Heart Failure

BACKGROUND

Heart failure (HF) readmission rates are low in some jurisdictions. However, international comparisons are lacking and could serve as a foundation for identifying regional patient management strategies that could be shared to improve outcomes.

OBJECTIVES

This study sought to summarize 30-day and 1-year all-cause readmission and mortality rates of hospitalized HF patients across countries and to explore potential differences in rates globally.

METHODS

We performed a systematic review and meta-analysis using MEDLINE, Embase, and CENTRAL for observational reports on hospitalized adult HF patients at risk for readmission or mortality published between January 2010 and March 2021. We conducted a meta-analysis of proportions using a random-effects model, and sources of heterogeneity were evaluated with meta-regression.

RESULTS

In total, 24 papers reporting on 30-day and 23 papers on 1-year readmission were included. Of the 1.5 million individuals at risk, 13.2% (95% CI: 10.5%-16.1%) were readmitted within 30 days and 35.7% (95% CI: 27.1%-44.9%) within 1 year. A total of 33 papers reported on 30-day and 45 papers on 1-year mortality. Of the 1.5 million individuals hospitalized for HF, 7.6% (95% CI: 6.1%-9.3%) died within 30 days and 23.3% (95% CI: 20.8%-25.9%) died within 1 year. Substantial variation in risk across countries was unexplained by countries' gross domestic product, proportion of gross domestic product spent on health care, and Gini coefficient.

CONCLUSIONS

Globally, hospitalized HF patients exhibit high rates of readmission and mortality, and the variability in readmission rates was not explained by health care expenditure, risk of mortality, or comorbidities.

Mind The Gap, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Cardiovascular Health: A Narrative Review

Australia's First Nations Peoples, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders, have reduced life expectancy compared to the wider community. Cardiovascular diseases, mainly driven by ischaemic heart disease, are the leading contributors to this disparity. Despite over a third of First Nations Peoples living in New South Wales, the bulk of the peer-reviewed literature is from Central Australia and Far North Queensland. Regardless of the site of publication, First Nations Peoples are significantly younger at disease onset and have higher rates of comorbidities, in turn driving adverse health events. On top of this, very few First Nations Peoples specific cardiovascular interventions or programs have been shown to improve outcomes. The traditional biomedical model of care is less efficacious and non-traditional models of communication such as clinical yarning may benefit both clinicians and patients. The key purpose of this review is to highlight the deficiencies of our knowledge of cardiovascular burden of disease for First Nations Peoples; and to serve as a catalyst for more dedicated research. We need to have relationships with communities and concentrate on community improvement and partnerships. By involving First Nations Peoples researchers in collaboration with local communities in all levels of health care design and intervention will improve outcomes.

Is ethnicity an appropriate measure of health care marginalization? A systematic review and meta-analysis of the outcomes of diabetic foot ulceration in Aboriginal populations

Background

Aboriginal people have higher prevalence rates of diabetes than non-Aboriginal people in the same geographic locations, and diabetic foot ulcer (DFU) complication rates are also presumed to be higher. The aim of this systematic review and meta-analysis was to compare DFU outcomes in Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal populations.

Methods

We searched PubMed, Embase, CINAHL and the Cochrane Library from inception to October 2018. Inclusion criteria were all types of studies comparing the outcomes of Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal patients with DFU, and studies from Canada, the United States, Australia and New Zealand. Exclusion criteria were patient age younger than 18 years, and studies in any language other than English. The primary outcome was the major amputation rate. We assessed the risk of bias using the ROBINS-I (Risk Of Bias In Non-randomized Studies – of Interventions) tool. Effect measures were reported as odds ratio (OR) with 95% confidence interval (CI).

Results

Six cohort studies with a total of 244 792 patients (2609 Aboriginal, 242 183 non-Aboriginal) with DFUs were included. The Aboriginal population was found to have a higher rate of major amputation than the non-Aboriginal population (OR 1.85, 95% CI 1.04–3.31). Four studies were deemed to have moderate risk of bias, and 2 were deemed to have serious risk of bias.

Conclusion

Our analysis of the available studies supports the conclusion that DFU outcomes, particularly the major amputation rate, are worse in Aboriginal populations than in non-Aboriginal populations in the same geographic locations. Rurality was not uniformly accounted for in all included studies, which may affect how these outcome differences are interpreted. The effect of rurality may be closely intertwined with ethnicity, resulting in worse outcomes.

Temporal trends in the burden of heart failure

Heart failure is a common healthcare problem associated with high morbidity and mortality. The burden of heart failure is changing; increases secondary to an ageing population may be offset by improved primary cardiovascular prevention and advances in heart failure therapies. In this review, we evaluate recent international trends in heart failure incidence, morbidity and mortality. Although the age-standardised incidence of heart failure has been decreasing since 2000, the incidence in those age groups <55 years is increasing with patients being diagnosed at younger ages. Despite improvements in therapies for heart failure, prognosis still remains poor with up to one-third of patients not surviving beyond 1 year following diagnosis and no improvements in mortality over the past 10 years. The case-mix of heart failure patients is changing with a greater proportion having non-ischaemic aetiology and preserved ejection fraction, and a higher prevalence of non-cardiovascular comorbidity and mortality.

Trends in the prevalence of malignancy among patients admitted with acute heart failure and associated outcomes: a nationwide population-based study

Cancer is the second leading cause of death in the USA, and cardiovascular disease is the second leading cause of morbidity and mortality among cancer survivors. Cancer survivors share common risk factors for cardiovascular disease with non-cancer patients. With improved survival, cancer patients become susceptible to treatment-related toxicity often involving the heart. The impact of concurrent malignancy on outcomes particularly among heart failure patients is an area of active research. We studied the trends in the prevalence of a concurrent diagnosis of breast, prostate, colorectal, and lung cancer among admissions for acute heart failure and the associated trends for in-hospital mortality. Patients aged ≥ 18 years who were admitted with a primary diagnosis of "congestive heart failure" (CCS codes 99 and 108) from years 2003 to 2014 were included. We analyzed the rate of admission and in-hospital mortality among patients who had a concurrent diagnosis for either lung cancer, colorectal cancer, breast cancer (among females), or prostate cancer (among males). We performed a multivariate analysis to assess the role of a concurrent diagnosis of any cancer in predicting in-hospital mortality among HF admissions. From 2003 to 2014 across over 12 million HF admissions, ≈ 7% had a concurrent diagnosis of either lung, breast, colorectal, or prostate cancer. The prevalence was highest for breast cancer (2.3%) followed by prostate cancer (2.1%) and colorectal cancer (1.5%) and lowest with lung cancer (1.1%). The prevalence of cancer increased over the duration of study among all four cancer types with the largest increase in prevalence of breast cancer. Baseline comorbidities including hypertension, diabetes, smoking, chronic kidney disease, and coronary artery disease increased over time among patients with and without cancer. In-hospital mortality was higher among those with a diagnosis of lung cancer (5.9%) followed by colorectal cancer (4.0%), prostate cancer (3.5%), no diagnosis of cancer (3.3%), and breast cancer (3.2%). In-hospital mortality declined across HF admissions with and without a cancer diagnosis from 2003 to 2014. Decline in such mortality among heart failure was highest for patients with lung cancer (8.1 to 4.6% from 2003 to 2014; p < 0.001). Multivariate analysis showed that a concurrent diagnosis of cancer was associated with a marginally lower hospital mortality compared with controls (adjusted odds ratio 0.95, 95% confidence interval 0.94-0.96; p < 0.001). Among HF admissions, the prevalence of a concurrent cancer diagnosis increased over time for breast, lung, colorectal, and prostate cancer. Baseline in-hospital mortality was higher among HF admissions with either lung cancer, colorectal cancer, or prostate cancer and lower with breast cancer compared with controls without a cancer diagnosis. Adjusted analysis revealed no evidence for higher hospital mortality among HF admissions with any accompanying cancer diagnosis.

Outcomes following heart failure hospitalization in a regional Australian setting between 2005 and 2014

AIMS

The aim of the current study is to examine 10 year trends in mortality and readmission following heart failure (HF) hospitalization in metropolitan and regional Australian settings.

METHODS AND RESULTS

We identified all index HF hospitalizations in the Hunter New England region from 2005 to 2014, using a 10 year 'look back' period. The primary endpoint was a composite of all-cause mortality or all-cause readmission at 1 year. Secondary endpoints included all-cause mortality, all-cause readmission, and HF readmission at 30 days and 1 year. We used logistic regression to explore the predictors of the composite outcome of either all-cause death or readmission at 1 year. There were 12 114 patients admitted with a first episode of HF between 2005 and 2014, followed up until death or the end of 2015. The mean age was 78 ± 12 years and 49% (n = 5906) were male. A total of 4831 (40%) resided in regional areas and the remainder in metropolitan areas. One hundred sixty-eight patients (1.4%) were Aboriginal. Approximately 69% of patients had either died or been readmitted for any cause within 12 months of their index event. The 30 day and 1 year all-cause mortality rates were 13% and 32%, respectively, with no change in the trend over the study period. Age, socio-economic disadvantage, ischaemic heart disease, renal failure, and chronic lower respiratory disease were predictors of the primary endpoint.

CONCLUSIONS

Heart failure hospitalizations are followed by high rates of death or readmission. There was no change in this composite endpoint over the 10 year study period.

Mortality and Readmission Following Hospitalisation for Heart Failure in Australia: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

BACKGROUND

Heart failure (HF) is a common, costly condition with an increasing burden on Australian health care system resources. Knowledge of the burden of HF on patients and on the health system is important for resource allocation. This study is the first systematic review to estimate the mortality and readmission rates after hospitalisation for HF in the Australian population.

METHODS

We searched for studies of HF hospitalisation in Australia published between January 1990 and May 2016, using a systematic search of PubMed, Medline, Scopus, Web of Science, EMBASE and Cochrane Library databases. Studies reporting 30-day and/or 1-year outcomes for mortality or readmission following hospitalisation were eligible and included in this study.

RESULTS

Out of 2889 articles matching the initial search criteria, a total of 13 studies representing 67,255 patients were included in the final analysis. The pooled mean age of heart failure patients was 76.3 years and 51% were male (n=34,271). The pooled estimated 30-day and 1-year all-cause mortality were 8% and 25% respectively. The pooled estimated 30-day and 1-year all-cause readmission rates were 20% and 56% respectively. There is a high prevalence of comorbidities in heart failure patients. There were limited data on readmission and mortality in rural patients and Indigenous people.

CONCLUSIONS

Heart failure hospitalisations in Australia are followed by substantial readmission and mortality rates.

Prognostic Impact of Diabetes on Long-term Survival Outcomes in Patients With Heart Failure: A Meta-analysis

OBJECTIVE

Several studies have explored the impact of diabetes on mortality in patients with heart failure (HF). However, the extent to which diabetes may confer risk of mortality and hospitalization in this patient population remains imperfectly known. Here we examine the independent prognostic impact of diabetes on the long-term risk of mortality and hospitalization in patients with HF.

RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS

PubMed, Scopus, and Web of Science from January 1990 to October 2016 were the data sources used. We included large (n ≥1,000) observational registries and randomized controlled trials with a follow-up duration of at least 1 year. Eligible studies were selected according to predefined keywords and clinical outcomes. Data from selected studies were extracted, and meta-analysis was performed using random-effects modeling.

RESULTS

A total of 31 registries and 12 clinical trials with 381,725 patients with acute and chronic HF and 102,036 all-cause deaths over a median follow-up of 3 years were included in the final analysis. Diabetes was associated with a higher risk of all-cause death (random-effects hazard ratio [HR] 1.28 [95% CI 1.21, 1.35]), cardiovascular death (1.34 [1.20, 1.49]), hospitalization (1.35 [1.20, 1.50]), and the combined end point of all-cause death or hospitalization (1.41 [1.29, 1.53]). The impact of diabetes on mortality and hospitalization was greater in patients with chronic HF than in those with acute HF. Limitations included high heterogeneity and varying degrees of confounder adjustment across individual studies.

CONCLUSIONS

This updated meta-analysis shows that the presence of diabetes per se adversely affects long-term survival and risk of hospitalization in patients with acute and chronic HF.

Do patients have worse outcomes in heart failure than in cancer? A primary care-based cohort study with 10-year follow-up in Scotland

AIMS

This study was designed to evaluate whether survival rates in patients with heart failure (HF) are better than those in patients with diagnoses of the four most common cancers in men and women, respectively, in a contemporary primary care cohort in the community in Scotland.

METHODS AND RESULTS

Data were obtained from the Primary Care Clinical Informatics Unit from a database of 1.75 million people registered with 393 general practices in Scotland. Sex-specific survival modelling was undertaken using Cox proportional hazards models, adjusted for potential confounders. A total of 56 658 subjects were eligible for inclusion in the study. These represented a total of 147 938 person-years of follow-up (median follow-up: 2.04 years). In men, HF (reference group; 5-year survival: 55.8%) had worse mortality outcomes than prostate cancer [hazard ratio (HR) 0.61, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.57-0.65; 5-year survival: 68.3%], and bladder cancer (HR 0.88, 95% CI 0.81-0.96; 5-year survival: 57.3%), but better outcomes than lung cancer (HR 3.86, 95% CI 3.65-4.07; 5-year survival: 8.4%) and colorectal cancer (HR 1.23, 95% CI 1.16-1.31; 5-year survival: 48.9%). In women, HF (reference group; 5-year survival: 49.5%) had worse mortality outcomes than breast cancer (HR 0.55, 95% CI 0.51-0.59; 5-year survival 77.7%), but better outcomes than colorectal cancer (HR 1.21, 95% CI 1.13-1.29; 5-year survival 51.5%), lung cancer (HR 3.82, 95% CI 3.60-4.05; 5-year survival 10.4%), and ovarian cancer (HR 1.98, 95% CI 1.80-2.17; 5-year survival 38.2%).

CONCLUSIONS

Despite advances in management, HF remains as 'malignant' as some of the common cancers in both men and women.

Improving cardiovascular outcomes among Aboriginal Australians: Lessons from research for primary care

BACKGROUND

The Aboriginal people of Australia have much poorer health and social indicators and a substantial life expectancy gap compared to other Australians, with premature cardiovascular disease a major contributor to poorer health. This article draws on research undertaken to examine cardiovascular disparities and focuses on ways in which primary care practitioners can contribute to reducing cardiovascular disparities and improving Aboriginal health.

METHODS

The overall research utilised mixed methods and included data analysis, interviews and group processes which included Aboriginal people, service providers and policymakers. Workshop discussions to identify barriers and what works were recorded by notes and on whiteboards, then distilled and circulated to participants and other stakeholders to refine and validate information. Additional engagement occurred through circulation of draft material and further discussions. This report distils the lessons for primary care practitioners to improve outcomes through management that is attentive to the needs of Aboriginal people.

RESULTS

Aspects of primordial, primary and secondary prevention are identified, with practical strategies for intervention summarised. The premature onset and high incidence of Aboriginal cardiovascular disease make prevention imperative and require that primary care practitioners understand and work to address the social underpinnings of poor health. Doctors are well placed to reinforce the importance of healthy lifestyle at all visits to involve the family and to reduce barriers which impede early care seeking. Ensuring better information for Aboriginal patients and better integrated care for patients who frequently have complex needs and multi-morbidities will also improve care outcomes.

CONCLUSION

Primary care practitioners have an important role in improving Aboriginal cardiovascular care outcomes. It is essential that they recognise the special needs of their Aboriginal patients and work at multiple levels both outside and inside the clinic for prevention and management of disease. A toolkit of proactive and holistic opportunities for interventions is proposed.