Characteristics and outcomes of patients with advanced chronic systolic heart failure receiving care at the Veterans Affairs versus other hospitals: insights from the Beta-blocker Evaluation of Survival Trial (BEST).

Pubmed ID: 25480782

Pubmed Central ID: PMC4377074

Journal: Circulation. Heart failure

Publication Date: Jan. 1, 2015

Affiliation: From the Department of Medicine, Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Birmingham, AL (L.G.J., F.G.H., S.D.P.); Department of Medicine (L.G.J., F.G.H., S.D.P.) and Department of Biostatistics (C.J.M.), University of Alabama at Birmingham; Department of Adult Health, Seattle University College of Nursing, Seattle, WA (M.-K.S.); Office of the Chief of Staff, Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Washington, DC (R.E.K., R.D.F., A.A.); Department of Medicine, The Ralph H. Johnson Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Charleston, (M.R.Z.); Department of Medicine, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston (M.R.Z.); Department of Medicine, Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Providence, RI (W.-C.W.); Department of Medicine, Brown University, Providence, RI (W.-C.W.); Department of Medicine, University of California, San Francisco, Fresno (P.D.); Department of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles (G.C.F.); Department of Medicine, New York Medical College, Valhalla (W.S.A.); and Department of Veterans Affairs, Geriatrics and Extended Care Services, Washington, DC (R.M.A.).

MeSH Terms: Humans, Male, Female, United States, Middle Aged, Adrenergic beta-Antagonists, Hospitalization, Treatment Outcome, Prognosis, Follow-Up Studies, Survival Rate, Retrospective Studies, Stroke Volume, Hospitals, Ventricular Function, Left, Heart Failure, Systolic, United States Department of Veterans Affairs

Grants: R01 HL085561, R01-HL085561, R01 HL097047, R01-HL097047

Authors: Aronow WS, Ahmed A, Fonarow GC, Deedwania P, Allman RM, Jones LG, Zile MR, Sin MK, Hage FG, Kheirbek RE, Morgan CJ, Wu WC, Prabhu SD, Fletcher RD

Cite As: Jones LG, Sin MK, Hage FG, Kheirbek RE, Morgan CJ, Zile MR, Wu WC, Deedwania P, Fonarow GC, Aronow WS, Prabhu SD, Fletcher RD, Ahmed A, Allman RM. Characteristics and outcomes of patients with advanced chronic systolic heart failure receiving care at the Veterans Affairs versus other hospitals: insights from the Beta-blocker Evaluation of Survival Trial (BEST). Circ Heart Fail 2015 Jan;8(1):17-24. Epub 2014 Dec 5.

Studies:

Abstract

BACKGROUND: Characteristics and outcomes of patients with heart failure and reduced ejection fraction receiving care at Veterans Affairs (VA) versus non-VA hospitals have not been previously reported. METHODS AND RESULTS: In the randomized controlled Beta-blocker Evaluation of Survival Trial (BEST; 1995-1999), of the 2707 (bucindolol=1353; placebo=1354) patients with heart failure and left ventricular ejection fraction ≤35%, 918 received care at VA hospitals, of which 98% (n=898) were male. Of the 1789 receiving care at non-VA hospitals, 68% (n=1216) were male. Our analyses were restricted to these 2114 male patients. VA patients were older with higher symptom and comorbidity burdens. There was no significant between-group difference in unadjusted primary end point of 2-year all-cause mortality (35% VA versus 32% non-VA; hazard ratio associated with VA hospitals, 1.09; 95% confidence interval, 0.94-1.26), which remained unchanged after adjustment for age and race (hazard ratio, 1.00; 95% confidence interval, 0.86-1.16) or multivariable adjustment, including cardiovascular morbidities (hazard ratio, 0.94; 95% confidence interval, 0.80-1.10). There was no between-group difference in cause-specific mortalities or hospitalizations. Chronic kidney disease, pulmonary edema, left ventricular ejection fraction <20%, and peripheral arterial disease were significant predictors of mortality for both groups. African America race, New York Heart Association class IV symptoms, atrial fibrillation, and right ventricular ejection fraction <20% were associated with higher mortality among non-VA hospital patients only; however, these differences from VA patients were not significant. CONCLUSIONS: Patients with heart failure and reduced ejection fraction receiving care at VA hospitals were older and sicker; yet their risk of mortality and hospitalization was similar to younger and healthier patients receiving care at non-VA hospitals. CLINICAL TRIAL REGISTRATION URL: http://www.clinicaltrials.gov. Unique identifier: NCT00000560.