title: EuroHeart Failure Survey II (EHFS II): a survey on hospitalized acute heart failure patients: description of population.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The objective of the EuroHeart Failure Survey II (EHFS II) was to assess patient characteristics, aetiology, treatment, and outcome of acute heart failure (AHF) in Europe in relation to the guidelines on the diagnosis and treatment of AHF published by the European Society of Cardiology.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Patients hospitalized for AHF were recruited by 133 centres in 30 European countries. Three thousand five hundred and eighty patients were entered into the database by the end of August 2005. Mean age was 70 years, and 61% of patients were male. New-onset AHF (de novo AHF) was diagnosed in 37%, of which 42% was due to acute coronary syndromes (ACS). Clinical classification according to the guidelines divided AHF patients into (i) decompensated HF (65%), (ii) pulmonary oedema (16%), (iii) HF and hypertension (11%), (iv) cardiogenic shock (4%), and (v) right HF (3%). Coronary heart disease, hypertension, and atrial fibrillation were the most common underlying conditions. Arrhythmias, valvular dysfunction, and ACS were each present as precipitating factor in one-third of cases. Preserved left ventricular ejection fraction (> or =45%) was observed in 34%. Valvular disorders were common, especially mitral regurgitation (MR) which was reported on echocardiography in 80% of patients. Median length of stay was 9 days, and in-hospital mortality 6.7%. At discharge, 80% of patients were on angiotensin-converting enzyme-inhibitors or angiotensin receptor blockers, whereas 61% were taking beta-blocker medication.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Decompensated HF is the most common clinical presentation of AHF patients. More than one-third of AHF patients do not have a previous history of HF, and new-onset HF is often caused by ACS. Preserved systolic function is found in a substantial proportion of the patients. The prevalence of valvular dysfunction is strikingly high and contributes to the clinical presentation. The EHFS II on AHF verified that the use of evidence-based HF medication was well adopted to clinical practice.
authors.affiliation: Division of Cardiology, Department of Medicine, Helsinki University Central Hospital, Haartmaninkatu 4, PO Box 340, 00029 HUS, Finland. markku.nieminen@hus.fi
authors.forename: Markku S
authors.initials: MS
authors.lastname: Nieminen
authors.forename: Dirk
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Brutsaert
authors.forename: Kenneth
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Dickstein
authors.forename: Helmut
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Drexler
authors.forename: Ferenc
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Follath
authors.forename: Veli-Pekka
authors.initials: VP
authors.lastname: Harjola
authors.forename: Matthias
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Hochadel
authors.forename: Michel
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Komajda
authors.forename: Johan
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Lassus
authors.forename: Jose Luis
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Lopez-Sendon
authors.forename: Piotr
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Ponikowski
authors.forename: Luigi
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Tavazzi
mesh_terms: D000208:Acute Disease; D000328:Adult; D017677:Age Distribution; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D005260:Female; D006333:Heart Failure / Q000209:etiology / Q000401:mortality / Q000628:therapy*; D017052:Hospital Mortality; D006760:Hospitalization / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012307:Risk Factors