TABLE 1.
Characteristics of cases readmitted within 30 days and matched control patients following a hospitalization for acute heart failure.
| Characteristic | Case (N=1587) |
Control (N=7935) |
P-Value |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mean (SD) age, yrs | 76.4 (12.0) | 74.4 (13.2) | <0.001 |
| Women | 784 (49.4%) | 3934 (49.6%) | 0.90 |
| Race/Ethnicity | 0.07 | ||
| White | 1213 (76.4%) | 5811 (73.2%) | |
| Black/African American | 187 (11.8%) | 1015 (12.8%) | |
| Asian/Pacific Islander | 143 (9.0%) | 814 (10.3%) | |
| Native American | 7 (0.4%) | 37 (0.5%) | |
| Other/Unknown | 37 (2.3%) | 258 (3.3%) | |
| Annual household income ≥ $35,000 (USD) | 1463 (92.4%) | 7234 (91.3%) | 0.17 |
| Graduation from high school | 1285 (81.1%) | 7793 (82.0%) | 0.34 |
| Medical History | |||
| Hospitalization for heart failure within prior year | 214 (13.5%) | 650 (8.2%) | <0.001 |
| Myocardial infarction | 207 (13.0%) | 788 (9.9%) | <0.001 |
| Unstable angina | 54 (3.4%) | 293 (3.7%) | 0.57 |
| Coronary artery bypass graft surgery | 41 (2.6%) | 195 (2.5%) | 0.77 |
| Percutaneous coronary intervention | 77 (4.9%) | 357 (4.5%) | 0.54 |
| Atrial fibrillation or flutter | 693 (43.7%) | 3163 (39.9%) | <0.01 |
| Ventricular fibrillation or tachycardia | 37 (2.3%) | 139 (1.8%) | 0.12 |
| Mitral or aortic valvular disease | 407 (25.6%) | 1499 (18.9%) | <0.001 |
| Stroke or transient ischemic attack | 87 (5.5%) | 445 (5.6%) | 0.84 |
| Hypertension | 1360 (85.7%) | 6731 (84.8%) | 0.38 |
| Diabetes mellitus | 694 (43.7%) | 3250 (41.0%) | <0.05 |
| Depression | 363 (22.9%) | 1561 (19.7%) | <0.01 |
| Dementia | 114 (7.2%) | 424 (5.3%) | <0.01 |
| Chronic lung disease | 664 (41.8%) | 2810 (35.4%) | <0.001 |
| Chronic liver disease | 50 (3.2%) | 221 (2.8%) | 0.42 |
| Cancer | 361 (22.7%) | 1409 (17.8%) | <0.001 |
| Permanent pacemaker | 63 (4.0%) | 207 (2.6%) | <0.01 |
| Implantable cardioverter defibrillator | 29 (1.8%) | 80 (1.0%) | <0.01 |
| Left ventricular ejection fraction | 0.45 | ||
| Normal (≥ 50%) | 585 (36.9%) | 2766 (34.9%) | |
| Mildly reduced (40–49%) | 161 (10.1%) | 758 (9.6%) | |
| Moderately reduced (30–39%) | 158 (10.0%) | 845 (10.6%) | |
| Severely reduced (< 30%) | 149 (9.4%) | 785 (9.9%) | |
| Unknown, not retrievable from records | 534 (33.6%) | 2781 (35.0%) | |
| Estimated glomerular filtration rate, mL/min/1.73 m2 | <0.001 | ||
| ≥ 60 | 488 (30.7%) | 2829 (35.7%) | |
| 45 to < 60 | 339 (21.4%) | 1670 (21.0%) | |
| 30 to < 45 | 341 (21.5%) | 1461 (18.4%) | |
| < 30 | 225 (14.2%) | 740 (9.3%) | |
| Unknown | 194 (12.2%) | 1235 (15.6%) | |
| Potassium, mEq/L | <0.001 | ||
| < 4.0 | 273 (17.2%) | 1222 (15.4%) | |
| 4.0–4.9 | 986 (62.2%) | 4758 (60.0%) | |
| ≥ 5.0 | 184 (11.6%) | 820 (10.3%) | |
| Unknown | 194 (12.2%) | 1235 (15.6%) | |
| Hemoglobin, g/dL | <0.001 | ||
| < 10.0 | 154 (9.7%) | 620 (7.8%) | |
| 10.0–11.9 | 493 (31.1%) | 1935 (24.4%) | |
| ≥ 12.0 | 749 (47.2%) | 3930 (49.5%) | |
| Unknown | 191 (12.0%) | 1450 (18.3%) | |
| Baseline Medications | |||
| Angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitor | 741 (46.7%) | 3392 (42.7%) | <0.01 |
| Angiotensin II receptor blocker | 283 (17.8%) | 1365 (17.2%) | 0.54 |
| Beta-blocker | 1048 (66.0%) | 5179 (65.3%) | 0.56 |
| Loop diuretic | 930 (58.6%) | 4036 (50.9%) | <0.001 |
| Thiazide diuretic | 401 (25.3%) | 1788 (22.5%) | <0.05 |
| Potassium supplementation | 423 (26.7%) | 1615 (20.4%) | <0.001 |
| Calcium channel blocker | 463 (29.2%) | 2215 (27.9%) | 0.31 |
| Digoxin | 248 (15.6%) | 971 (12.2%) | <0.001 |
| Nitrates | 335 (21.1%) | 1274 (16.1%) | <0.001 |
| Hydralazine | 192 (12.1%) | 867 (10.9%) | 0.18 |