Heart failure patients without echocardiography are more commonly diagnosed in hospital care and are associated with higher mortality compared to primary care.

Abstract

Objective: This Swedish study aimed to assess the prevalence, associated clinical factors, and mortality rates of heart failure patients diagnosed without echocardiograms in both hospital and primary care settings.

Design: We conducted a retrospective population-based study using data from the Region Halland healthcare database in Sweden covering 330,000 residents.

Subjects: From 2013-2019, 3,903 patients received an incidental heart failure diagnosis without an echocardiogram and they were followed for one year.

Main outcome measures: Using logistic and Cox regression analyses, we evaluated the prevalence, clinical characteristics, and all-cause mortality at intervals of 30, 100, and 365 days post-diagnosis.

Results: In this Swedish cohort, the one-year all-cause mortality rate was markedly higher for patients diagnosed in hospitals (42%) compared to those in primary care (20%, p < 0.001). Patients diagnosed in primary care were older and had fewer comorbidities and lower NT-proBNP levels. Hospital-diagnosed patients faced a significantly higher mortality rate in the initial 30 days but saw similar rates to primary care patients thereafter.

Conclusion: In a Swedish region, heart failure diagnoses without echocardiograms were more common in hospitals, and these patients initially faced worse prognoses. After the first month, however, the prognosis of hospital-diagnosed patients mirrored that of those diagnosed in primary care. These findings emphasize the need for improved diagnostic and treatment approaches in both care settings to enhance outcomes.