Mortality markers in outpatients diagnosed with heart failure

Introduction: Heart failure is a global health problem. In Ecuador it is estimated that between 1% and 2% of the population suffers this disease. Objective: To determine mortality markers in outpatients with a diagnosis of heart failure in the Ecuadorian Andean population. Methods: A cross-sectional and monocentric study was carried out in 230 mestizo, indigenous and Afro-descendant patients diagnosed with heart failure. The differences between the three ethnic groups were statistically analyzed by one-way ANOVA and Crammer’s V test. Additionally, a logistic regression analysis was performed. Results: The predominant ethnic group was mestizo (73.5%), followed by indigenous people (15.5%) and afro-descendants (10.5%). The logistic regression analysis showed that age (OR: 1.046; 95% CI: 1.014-1.078; p = 0.04), ethnicity (OR: 1.713; 95% CI: 1.053-2.78; p = 0.030), the presence of atrial fibrillation (OR: 2.711; 95% CI: 1.03-7.12; p = 0.042) and the number of hospitalizations (OR: 3.026; 95% CI: 1.85-4.94; p = 0.000), were markers of poor prognosis. On the other hand, mean arterial pressure (OR: 0.969; 95% CI: 0.94-0.99; p = 0.010), absence of ischemic cerebrovascular event (OR: 0.15; 95% CI: 0.48-0.527; p = 0.03) and total cholesterol levels (OR: 0.991; 95% CI: 0.987-0.996; p = 0.000) were protection markers. Conclusions: In this population, ethnicity, atrial fibrillation, mean arterial pressure, ischemic cerebrovascular event, total cholesterol levels and the number of hospitalizations were established as mortality markers in outpatients diagnosed with heart failure.