Outcomes of patients with heart failure in Türkiye

Background/aim: Despite Türkiye's relatively young population, there is an emerging trend of earlier diagnoses of chronic diseases, including heart failure (HF). This study aims to shed light on survival rates, potential influences of guideline-directed therapies, and sex-based differences necessitating personalized management in HF. Materials and methods: We conducted a nationwide retrospective cohort analysis of 2,722,151 patients with HF using deidentified data from the Turkish Ministry of Health's national electronic database. That cohort included 2,701,099 adult patients with HF. Adult patients were divided into two groups based on their outcomes as those who were deceased and those who survived and were then compared. Multivariate regression analysis was conducted to identify variables predicting mortality. The patients' hospital admissions and length of hospital stay were analyzed based on survival status and age. Results: Out of 2,722,151 HF patients, the overall mortality rate was 33.7%, with a difference observed according to sex (32.5% in female patients, 35.0% in male patients). Survival rates at 1, 5, and 7 years after the HF diagnosis were detailed. Deceased HF patients had more comorbidities, higher natriuretic peptides, and lower glomerular filtration rates. Hospitalization patterns varied, with 41% experiencing no hospitalization. The average length of hospital stay in 2022 was 6 days, with sex- and age-specific disparities. Conclusion: The survival rate of HF in Türkiye is similar to world data. The survival of female patients is better than that of male patients. Increased survival rates can likely be attributed to the widespread use of guideline-directed therapies. Finally, high healthcare utilization is observed, especially in emergency situations.