Clinical characteristics and prognosis of hospitalized patients with congestive heart failure - A study in Fukuoka, Japan

The clinical characteristics and prognosis of patients with congestive hear t failure (CHF) have been described by a number of previous studies, but ve ry little information is available on this issue in Japan. This study aimed to delineate the clinical characteristics and prognosis of Japanese patien ts hospitalized with CHF. Medical records were reviewed for 230 consecutive patients at 5 teaching hospitals in Fukuoka, Japan from January to Decembe r 1997 and the survival and hospital readmission were followed through Dece mber 1999 (mean follow-up, 2.4 years). The study population had a high mean age, contained a larger population of women especially in the older ages, and had a higher incidence of overt HF (48%) despite a relatively normal ej ection fraction on echocardiography. Major causes of CHF were ischemic, val vular, and hypertensive heart diseases. The 1-year mortality rate was as lo w as 8.3% whereas rates of hospital readmission because of an exacerbation of CHF were as high as 40% during the follow-up period. Patients hospitaliz ed with CHF in routine clinical practice in Japan have characteristics that differ from those in the population included in community-based studies or large clinical trials.