Charlson Comorbidity Index does not predict long-term mortality in elderly subjects with chronic heart failure

BACKGROUND: comorbidity plays a critical role in the high mortality for chronic heart failure (CHF) in the elderly. Charlson Comorbidity Index (CCI) is the most extensively studied comorbidity index. No studies are available on the ability of CCI to predict mortality in CHF elderly subjects. The aim of the present study was to assess if CCI was able to predict long-term mortality in a random sample of elderly CHF subjects. METHODS: long-term mortality after 12-year follow-up in 125 subjects with CHF and 1,143 subjects without CHF was studied. Comorbidity was evaluated using CCI. FINDINGS: in elderly subjects stratified for CCI (1-3 and > or =4), mortality was higher in non-CHF subjects with CCI > or =4 (52.4% versus 70%, P < 0.002) but not in those with CHF (75.9% versus 77.6%, P = 0.498, NS). Cox regression analysis on 12 years mortality indicated that both CCI (HR = 1.15; 95% CI = 1.01-1.31; P = 0.035) and CHF (HR = 1.27; 95% CI = 1.04-8.83; P = 0.003) were predictive of mortality. When Cox analysis was performed by selecting the presence and the absence of CHF, CCI was predictive of mortality in the absence but not in the presence of CHF. CONCLUSION: CCI does not predict long-term mortality in elderly subjects with CHF.