Abstract
Previous basic, clinical, and population sciences have advanced the modern treatment of heart failure. However, its efficacy is still limited especially in the “real world” patients. The clinical characteristics and prognosis of patients with heart failure have been described by a number of previous studies, which have been performed mainly in the United States and Europe. Very little information is available on this issue in Japan. We determined the clinical characteristics and prognosis of 230 patients consecutively hospitalized with HF at 5 teaching hospitals in Fukuoka, Japan in 1997. Patients were elderly and made up of a larger population of women especially at a higher age. The major causes of heart failure were ischemic, valvular, and hypertensive : 35% of HF patients had a normal ejection fraction by echocardiography, in which heart failure might be mainly attributable to diastolic dysfunction. Readmission due to the exacerbation of heart failure is common. Noncomplicance to the treatment is the most common precipitating factor for readmission. Regular medical follow-up and social support are important for the disease management program of heart failure. A nationwide survey of the “real world” patients needs to be performed in Japan to establish the most effective and efficient treatment strategies.
