Characteristics and treatment of patients with heart failure admitted to a cardiology department in 2002 and 2016

AIM: To investigate the difference in characteristics of patients admitted to the Tomsk National Research Medical Center with a diagnosis of heart failure (HF) in 2002 and 2016. METHODS: Medical charts of all patients hospitalised in a single centre, with a diagnosis of HF, were included. Two three‑month periods were compared from January 2002 (n=210) and January 2016 (n=378). RESULTS: Fewer patients with HF had symptoms or required diuretics in 2016 (63 % vs 98,6 %, p<0.001). During this period the percentage of patients with HFpEF increased from 58.6 % to 74.1 % (p=0.001) whereas those with HFrEF remained similar (19.5 % vs 14.0 %, p=0.1) and those with HFmrEF declined (21.9 % vs 11,9 %, p=0.007). In patients with HFrEF the prescription of ACEi / ARB remained similar (80.4 vs 88 %, p=0.3), beta‑blockers increased from 68 to 85 % (p=0.03) and aldosterone antagonists from 9.7 to 49 % (p<0.001). CONCLUSION: Prescription rates for prognostic medications in HFrEF improved in 2016. The substantial percentage of patients diagnosed with HFpEF without symptoms or diuretic raises the question of whether a diagnosis of HF was appropriate in some cases.