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Heart failure in community practice: relationship to age and sex in a beta-blocker registry. Congestive heart failure (Greenwich, Conn.) Franciosa, J. A., Nelson, J. J., Lukas, M. A., Lottes, S. R., Massie, B. M., Fowler, M. B., Greenberg, B., Gilbert, E. M., Abraham, W. T. 2006; 12 (6): 317-323

Abstract

Women and the elderly are underrepresented in clinical trials of heart failure (HF). The authors analyzed, by sex and age groups, a registry of 4280 community patients initiating carvedilol for HF. Women (n=1485) were older than men (n=2793) and had worse functional class with higher left ventricular ejection fraction and blood pressure. Women also had more HF hospitalizations, less use of angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors, and lower doses of carvedilol. Nevertheless, during 1-year follow-up, both groups experienced greater than 40% reductions in HF hospitalizations (P<.001), with mortality of 7.3% in women vs 9.1% in men (P=.085). With increasing age, left ventricular ejection fraction, blood pressure, and functional class increased, whereas angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitor use and carvedilol doses decreased. HF hospitalizations fell at least 40% in all age groups after starting carvedilol (P<.001). Characteristics of women and the elderly with HF in the community suggest increased risk, but both populations respond well after initiating carvedilol.

View details for PubMedID 17170585