Hospitalized heart failure patients with preserved vs. reduced ejection fraction in Dubai, United Arab Emirates: A prospective study

Abstract

Aims To compare the baseline characteristics, pharmacological treatment, and in-hospital outcomes across hospitalized heart failure (HF) patients with preserved LVEF (HF-PEF) and those with reduced LVEF (HF-REF). Method and results This was a prospective analysis of consecutive patients admitted with decompensated HF at two government hospitals in the United Arab Emirates, from 1 December 2011 to 30 November 2012. Multivariate factors of HF-PEF vs. HF-REF included elevated systolic blood pressure [odds ratio (OR) 1.02; 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.01-1.03], heart rate (OR 0.98; 95% CI 0.97-0.99), age (OR 1.02; 95% CI 1.01-1.04), female sex (OR 2.38; 95% CI 1.41-4.03), angina or myocardial infarction (OR 0.42; 95% CI 0.25-0.71), AF (OR 1.82; 95% CI 1.05-3.15), COPD or asthma (OR 2.80; 95% CI 1.47-5.35), Charlson Comorbidity Index score (OR 0.75; 95% CI 0.64-0.88), and anaemia (OR 2.97; 95% CI 1.64-5.38). In-hospital outcomes were similar between the two groups. However, patients with HF-PEF were less likely to be prescribed HF medication, and used more anticoagulants and fewer antiplatelet medications. Conclusion These results suggest that patients with HF-PEF are older, more often female, and have higher prevalence of respiratory diseases and AF. Compared with developed countries, hospitalized HF patients in the Middle East are 10-‰years younger and have a higher prevalence of diabetes mellitus, and the majority have HF-REF.