title: Right ventricular ejection fraction <20% is an independent predictor of mortality but not of hospitalization in older systolic heart failure patients.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Reduced right ventricular ejection fraction (RVEF) is associated with poor outcomes in patients with chronic systolic heart failure (HF). Although most HF patients are older adults, little is known about the relationship between low RVEF and outcomes in older adults with systolic HF.
  
  
  METHODS
  Of the 2008 Beta-Blocker Evaluation of Survival Trial (BEST) participants with systolic HF (left ventricular ejection fraction ≤ 35%) 822 were ≥ 65 years and had data on baseline RVEF estimated by gated-equilibrium radionuclide ventriculography. Using RVEF ≥ 40% (n = 308) as reference, we examined association of RVEF 30-39% (n = 214), 20-29% (n = 206) and <20% (n = 94) with outcomes using Cox regression models.
  
  
  RESULTS
  All-cause mortality occurred in 36%, 40%, 39% and 56% of patients with RVEF ≥ 40%, 30-39%, 20-29% and <20% respectively. Compared with RVEF ≥ 40%, unadjusted hazard ratios (HR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) for all-cause mortality associated with RVEF 30-39%, 20-29% and <20% were 1.19 (0.90-1.57; P = 0.220), 1.13 (0.84-1.51; P = 0.423) and 1.97 (1.43-2.73; P<0.001) respectively. Respective multivariable-adjusted HR's (95% CI's) for all-cause mortality were 1.19 (0.88-1.60; P = 0.261), 1.00 (0.73-1.39; P = 0.982) and 1.70 (1.14-2.53; P = 0.009). Adjusted HR's (95% CI's) associated with RVEF <20% (versus ≥ 40%) for cardiovascular mortality and HF mortality were 1.79 (1.17-2.76; P = 0.008) and 1.97 (1.02-3.83; P = 0.045) respectively. RVEF had no independent association with sudden cardiac death, all-cause or HF hospitalization.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Abnormally low RVEF is a significant independent predictor of mortality, but not of HF hospitalization, in older adults with systolic HF.
authors.affiliation: University Hospital of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland. meyer.ph@bluewin.ch
authors.forename: Philippe
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Meyer
authors.forename: Ravi V
authors.initials: RV
authors.lastname: Desai
authors.forename: Marjan
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Mujib
authors.forename: Margaret A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Feller
authors.forename: Chris
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Adamopoulos
authors.forename: Maciej
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Banach
authors.forename: Mitja
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Lainscak
authors.forename: Inmaculada
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Aban
authors.forename: Michel
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: White
authors.forename: Wilbert S
authors.initials: WS
authors.lastname: Aronow
authors.forename: Prakash
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Deedwania
authors.forename: Ami E
authors.initials: AE
authors.lastname: Iskandrian
authors.forename: Ali
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Ahmed
mesh_terms: D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D005260:Female; D054143:Heart Failure, Systolic / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000401:mortality* / Q000503:physiopathology*; D006760:Hospitalization; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D011412:Propanolamines / Q000627:therapeutic use; D013318:Stroke Volume; D016278:Ventricular Function, Right
chemical_list: D011412:Propanolamines; C024307:bucindolol