title: Sudden cardiac arrest in patients with severe nonischemic heart failure: risk stratification with the heart failure survival score.
abstract: The authors wanted to investigate whether the heart failure survival score (HFSS) is useful for sudden cardiac arrest (SCA) risk stratification and whether there is a difference with regard to congestive heart failure (CHF) etiology. Data of 712 severe CHF patients (New York Heart Association III/IV 58%/42%, mean age 62+/-8 years, mean left ventricular ejection fraction 26%+/-11%) during the period from 1993-2003 were analyzed. The HFSS was calculated using the Aaronson formula. SCA-free survival was calculated using Kaplan-Meier analysis according to the etiology of CHF: coronary artery disease (CAD) (n=317) vs no CAD (n=395). In regard to SCA risk, the authors found no significant overall difference between patients with or without CAD. Non-CAD HFSS high-risk patients had a significantly higher risk for SCA than all the other groups ( P<.001). The HFSS is useful for the detection of a subgroup of non-CAD severe CHF patients at very high risk for SCA.
authors.affiliation: Thorax Institute, Hospital Clinic, Villarroel, Barcelona 08036, Spain;
authors.forename: Maria A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Castel
authors.forename: Herbert
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Nägele
mesh_terms: D015331:Cohort Studies; D016757:Death, Sudden, Cardiac / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology*; D005260:Female; D006305:Health Status Indicators; D006333:Heart Failure / Q000150:complications* / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000401:mortality*; D006801:Humans; D053208:Kaplan-Meier Estimate; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D018570:Risk Assessment; D012307:Risk Factors; D013030:Spain / Q000453:epidemiology; D016019:Survival Analysis