Patients dying from coronary heart disease with incident or prevalent CHF more frequently rated their health as fair or poor compared to those without CHF (68% and 63% vs. 41%; p<0.001).
Cohort (n=400)
Does the presence of congestive heart failure worsen health status at the end of life in patients dying from coronary heart disease?
Patients dying from coronary heart disease with concurrent heart failure experience significantly worse health status, more hospitalizations, and greater symptom burden at the end of life, highlighting a critical need for palliative care.
p-value: p=<0.001
Among Cardiovascular Health Study participants who died from coronary heart disease, the authors compared those with incident and definite congestive heart failure (CHF) (n=60; 15%) and those with prevalent or probable CHF (n=70; 17.5%) to those with no history of CHF (n=198; 50%) concerning health status at the end of life. Both CHF groups had worse health status before death than the group without CHF. Patients in the CHF groups were more likely to use benzodiazepines (20% and 19% vs. 6%; p=0.001) and to rate their health as fair or poor (68% and 63% vs. 41%; p<0.001). They were more likely to be hospitalized (33% and 28% vs. 11%; p<0.001), to have activity restrictions (79% and 62% vs. 38%; p<0.001), and to report a wide array of physical symptoms. These data suggest that patients who die from coronary heart disease in the presence of CHF have greater need for hospice or palliative care than those with no history of CHF.
Sullivan et al. (Sat,) conducted a cohort in Coronary heart disease (n=400). Congestive heart failure vs. No history of congestive heart failure was evaluated on Health status at the end of life (fair or poor rating) (p=<0.001). Patients dying from coronary heart disease with incident or prevalent CHF more frequently rated their health as fair or poor compared to those without CHF (68% and 63% vs. 41%; p<0.001).