Variability in the clinical status of patients with advanced heart failure.
BACKGROUND
The importance of repeated clinical assessments of patients with heart failure is widely accepted. The frequency of such follow-up is not established and is likely to depend on the natural history and variability of patients' health status and the availability and use of appropriate treatments.


RESULTS
We analyzed data from a multicenter prospective cohort study of heart failure outpatients comparing baseline variables including New York Heart Association (NYHA) class, summary score on the Kansas City Cardiomyopathy Questionnaire (KCCQ), and performance on a 6-minute walk test with results of a repeat evaluation at 6 weeks. We also compared patient and physician assessment of change in disease status among patients with advanced symptoms (NYHA class III with a recent antecedent hospitalization or class IV) and those with milder degrees of limitation (NYHA classes I, II, and stable III). Patients with advanced symptoms had greater short-term variability in health status as reflected by the KCCQ summary score and a visual analog scale. A greater proportion of patients with advanced heart failure experienced moderate or greater clinical change. Patient and physician global assessments were congruent with more direct measures of health status.


CONCLUSIONS
Patients with advanced heart failure have greater short-term variability in status, supporting the need for frequent clinical follow-up and appropriate power calculations for clinical trials that are designed to measure meaningful changes over a short period.
Department of Medicine, Saint Louis University School of Medicine, Missouri, USA.
Paul J
PJ
Hauptman
Frederick A
FA
Masoudi
William S
WS
Weintraub
Ileana
I
Pina
Philip G
PG
Jones
John A
JA
Spertus
D001145:Arrhythmias, Cardiac / Q000503:physiopathology; D015331:Cohort Studies; D005080:Exercise Test; D017079:Exercise Tolerance; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006304:Health Status; D006333:Heart Failure / Q000503:physiopathology* / Q000523:psychology*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011446:Prospective Studies; D011788:Quality of Life; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires