Acute Decompensated Heart Failure with Preserved Ejection Fraction: Do the Asian Phenotypes Fit?

Background: There is sparsity in regional data surrounding heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF)-related acute decompensated heart failure (ADHF) admissions in southeast Asia. This study aims to describe the characteristics, clinical parameters and outcomes related to HFpEF-linked ADHF admissions. Methods: A retrospective, observational study was conducted in a major cardiac tertiary centre in Malaysia over a 10-year period (2009–2018). A total of 4,198 patients were identified, of which 632 had HFpEF. Results: HFpEF patients were significantly older (mean 67.6 years) and female (52.2%). A high proportion of HFpEF patients had hypertension (73.4%), diabetes (58.1%), coronary artery disease (57.9%) and ischaemic cardiomyopathy (50.8%), although this remains significantly lower versus non-HFpEF patients. Atrial fibrillation (AF) was more common among HFpEF patients (34.7%). HFpEF patients in the study population appeared relatively stable, compared to non-HFpEF patients, supported by better blood results (suggestive of less congestion) on admission, shorter duration of inpatient stay, lower use of emergency cardiac procedures, lower in-hospital mortality rates and lower rates of HF readmission and all-cause mortality. However, when compared to other registries, specifically the ASIAN-HF cohort, HF readmission and all-cause mortality within the first year were higher in the present study cohort (37.9%, versus 12.1–23.6%). Conclusion: The present study highlights key characteristics of HFpEF patients in Malaysia and challenges the notion of the five major phenotypes of HF proposed by previous studies. Therefore, granularity in data collection and analysis is key, especially in a heterogenous condition like HFpEF, and efforts should be improved to obtain more information on local HFpEF patients.