PMID: 16647010May 2, 2006Paper

Comparative study on characteristics of congestive heart failure patients with preserved versus abnormal left ventricular systolic function and evaluation effects of therapy

Zhongguo wei zhong bing ji jiu yi xue = Chinese critical care medicine = Zhongguo weizhongbing jijiuyixue
Hong ZhanCpu-pak Lau

Abstract

To compare clinical characteristics and effects of therapy for hospitalized patients with congestive heart failure (CHF) and different left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) during hospitalization. The medical records of 1 074 unselected consecutive patients with CHF who were admitted to Queen Mary Hospital from January, 2001 to January, 2002 were retrospectively reviewed. Three hundred and ninety-nine patients were categorized as having either normal left ventricular systolic function or systolic dysfunction based on the results of echocardiography. Clinical features with a slightly modified version of the Framingham criteria, laboratory results and drug therapies at discharge were compared. Among patients, the majority were women, 95.5% were > or =65 years and 50.6% > or =80 years of age. Classification of the severity of heart failure showed that 70.2% were New York Heart Association (NYHA) III and IV. Only 399 patients had borderline LVEF at the time of hospitalization, of these patients 191 (47.9%) had preserved systolic function (LVEF > or =0.50), and 208 (52.1%) with LVEF<0.50. Patients with LVEF > or =0.50, who tended to be elderly and more often female, exhibited a lower incidence of coronary artery disease and diab...Continue Reading

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