The RICA-2 registry: design and baseline characteristics of the first 1,000 patients

Background and objective

Heart failure (HF) is a syndrome of epidemic proportions and one of the main reasons for hospital admission. Patient registries provide real-world clinical practice information which is complementary to clinical trials. RICA-2 is a registry of the Spanish Society of Internal Medicine. Its main goal is to know the clinical and epidemiological characteristics and prognostic factors of patients with HF treated in Internal Medicine Departments. The objective of this study is to present the design of the RICA-2, the baseline characteristics of the first 1000 patients included and their comparison with those of the historical cohort of the RICA registry.

Methods

Observational, multicentre and prospective study of patients with HF with the following inclusion criteria: age equal to or greater than 18 years old, diagnosis of HF according to the European Guidelines, indistinct inclusion in decompensation or stable phase, of patients with de novo HF or chronic HF, regardless of left ventricular ejection fraction, aetiology and comorbidities.

Results

RICA-2 patients have advanced age (83 years old) and 51% are women. The comorbidity burden is higher than in the RICA registry (5 points in the Charlson comorbidity index), with predominating chronic decompensated HF (74%), hypertensive aetiology (39%) and preserved ejection fraction (52%). Most patients are pre-frail or vulnerable and are at risk of malnutrition.

Conclusion

The RICA-2 represents a contemporary cohort of patients that will provide us with clinical, epidemiological and prognostic information on patients with acute and chronic HF treated in Internal Medicine.