title: [Prognostic value of discharge hemoglobin level in patients hospitalized for acute heart failure].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Recent studies show that the prevalence of anemia in patients with heart failure is high and indicate that its presence leads to increased mortality and morbidity. Our aims were to determine the prevalence of anemia in patients hospitalized for heart failure and to study the long-term prognostic significance of anemia by evaluating its relationship with mortality (total and due to heart failure) and readmission for heart failure.
  
  
  METHODS
  The study included 242 consecutive patients admitted to our cardiology department and discharged with a diagnosis of congestive heart failure. The Kaplan-Meier technique and Cox regression modeling were used to determine whether anemia is an independent predictor of death or readmission for heart failure. Anemia was defined as a hemoglobin level <12 g/dL. The mean follow-up period was 23.5 (10.9) months.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Overall, 79 patients (32.6%) were anemic. During follow-up, 77 died (53 due to heart disease) and 117 were readmitted for heart failure. Multivariate analysis showed that anemia was an independent predictor of death (hazard ratio [HR]=1.85, 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.12-3.06), death due to heart disease (HR=1.88, 95% CI, 1.03-3.45), and readmission for heart failure (HR=1.87, 95% CI, 1.28-2.74).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The prevalence of anemia was high in patients hospitalized for heart failure. Moreover, a discharge hemoglobin level less than 12 g/dL was a predictor of all-cause death, cardiac death, and readmission for heart failure.
authors.affiliation: Servicio de Cardiología, Consorcio Hospital General Universitario, Valencia, Spain.
authors.forename: Jorge
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Sánchez-Torrijos
authors.forename: Margarita
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Gudín-Uriel
authors.forename: Mercedes
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Nadal-Barangé
authors.forename: Victoria
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Jacas-Osborn
authors.forename: Alberto
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Trigo-Bautista
authors.forename: Mónica
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Giménez-Alcalá
authors.forename: Rafael
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Payá-Serrano
authors.forename: Francisco
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Ridocci-Soriano
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000740:Anemia / Q000097:blood / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000401:mortality; D005260:Female; D006333:Heart Failure / Q000097:blood* / Q000401:mortality; D006441:Hemoglobin A / Q000032:analysis*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D010359:Patient Readmission; D015995:Prevalence; D011379:Prognosis; D016016:Proportional Hazards Models; D012737:Sex Factors
chemical_list: D006441:Hemoglobin A