Predicting Mortality Among Patients Hospitalized for Heart Failure

Abstract

Heart failure is a condition with an adverse prognosis; 1-year mortality rates in population-based studies have been reported to be 35% to 40%.^1-5 Important prognostic factors have been identified among clinical trial enrollees. However, factors that predict mortality in the community setting may differ.⁶ Although heart failure is a common, serious condition treated by both generalist and specialist physicians, few methods exist to help quantatitively estimate prognosis. As a result, clinicians must rely on published mortality rates from clinical trials or other studies, in which patient populations may differ from those encountered in clinical practice.