title: [Prognostic value of the left ventricular ejection fraction in patients with acute heart failure].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The relation between left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) and prognosis in patients with heart failure is controversial. The aim of this study was to determine the relation of LVEF in long-term mortality and readmissions for acute heart failure in a non-selected population of patients admitted with acute heart failure (AHF).
  
  
  METHODS
  We included 507 patients admitted consecutively for AHF in a cardiology department of a single-centre. LVEF was assessed with transthoracic echocardiography during hospitalization. All-cause mortality and readmission for AHF were selected as primary and secondary endpoints, respectively. The independent association between LVEF and endpoints was assessed with traditional Cox regression analysis for all-cause mortality and Cox regression for competing risks for readmission for AHF.
  
  
  RESULTS
  47% of patients exhibited LVEF > or = 50%. During a median follow-up of one year, 151 (30%) deaths and 139 (27%) readmissions for AHF were observed. Mortality rates were higher in patients with LVEF < 50% (34 vs 25%; p = 0.028) and no differences were observed for readmissions for AHF (26 vs 29%, p = 0.510). In multivariate analysis, after adjustment for traditional risk factors, patients with LVEF < 50% did not show higher risk of mortality (hazard ratio [HR] = 1.08; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.76-1.57; p = 0.645) or readmissions for AHF (HR = 1.00; 95% CI, 0.68-1.47; p = 1).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Patients with preserved LVEF constitute a substantial proportion of patients with AHF, exhibiting similar mortality and readmissions risks compared with patients with depressed LVEF.
authors.affiliation: Servicio de Cardiología, Hospital Clínico Universitario de Valencia, Universitat de València, Valencia, España. yulnunez@gmail.com
authors.forename: Julio
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Núñez
authors.forename: Luis
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Mainar
authors.forename: Vicent
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Bodí
authors.forename: Juan
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Sanchis
authors.forename: Eduardo
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Núñez
authors.forename: Gema
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Miñana
authors.forename: Oliver
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Husser
authors.forename: María José
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Bosch
authors.forename: Francisco J
authors.initials: FJ
authors.lastname: Chorro
authors.forename: Angel
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Llàcer
mesh_terms: D000208:Acute Disease; D000368:Aged; D005260:Female; D006333:Heart Failure / Q000503:physiopathology*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D011379:Prognosis; D013318:Stroke Volume; D016277:Ventricular Function, Left