Clinical epidemiology of heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF) in comparatively young hospitalized patients

BackgroundWhile heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF) is primarily a disease of old age, risk factors that contribute to HFpEF are not limited to older patients. The objectives of this population-based observational study were to describe the clinical epidemiology of HFpEF in younger (< 65 years) as compared with older (≥ 65 years) patients hospitalized with acute decompensated heart failure.Methods and resultsWe reviewed the medical records of residents of central Massachusetts hospitalized with HFpEF at all 11 greater Worcester (MA) medical centers during the 5 study years of 1995, 2000, 2002, 2004, and 2006. Among the 2398 patients hospitalized with confirmed HFpEF, 357 (14.9%) were < 65 years old. Younger patients were more likely to be male, non-Caucasian, obese, and to have a history of diabetes and chronic kidney disease than older patients with HFpEF. Younger patients hospitalized with HFpEF were less likely to have received commonly prescribed cardiac medications, had a longer hospital stay, and experienced significantly lower post-discharge death rates than older hospitalized patients.ConclusionWhile HFpEF is predominantly a disease of old age, data from longitudinal studies remain needed to identify risk factors in younger individuals that may predispose them to the development of HFpEF.