title: Socioeconomic status and heart failure in Sydney.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Socioeconomic disadvantage is associated with an increased risk of developing heart failure and with inferior health outcomes following diagnosis.
  
  
  METHODS
  Data for hospitalisations and deaths due to heart failure in the Sydney metropolitan region were extracted from New South Wales hospital records and Australian Bureau of Statistics databases for 1999-2003. Standardised rates were analysed according to patients' residential local government area and correlated with an index of socioeconomic disadvantage.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Eight of the 13 local government areas with standardised separation rate ratios significantly higher than all NSW, and those with the six highest standardised separation rate ratios, were in Greater Western Sydney. Rates of heart failure hospitalisations per local government area were inversely correlated with level of socioeconomic status.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Higher rates of heart failure hospitalisations among residents of socioeconomically disadvantaged regions within Sydney highlight the need for strategies to lessen the impact of disadvantage and strategies to improve cardiovascular health.
authors.affiliation: Western Sydney Local Health District, Australia.
authors.forename: Glenn R
authors.initials: GR
authors.lastname: Close
authors.affiliation: Centre for Cardiovascular and Chronic Care, University of Technology Sydney, Australia.
authors.forename: Phillip J
authors.initials: PJ
authors.lastname: Newton
authors.affiliation: Western Sydney Local Health District, Australia.
authors.forename: Simon C
authors.initials: SC
authors.lastname: Fung
authors.affiliation: Western Sydney Local Health District, Australia; University of Western Sydney, Australia.
authors.forename: A Robert
authors.initials: AR
authors.lastname: Denniss
authors.affiliation: University of Wollongong, Australia.
authors.forename: Elizabeth J
authors.initials: EJ
authors.lastname: Halcomb
authors.affiliation: Western Sydney Local Health District, Australia; University of Sydney, Australia.
authors.forename: Pramesh
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Kovoor
authors.affiliation: Baker IDI Heart and the Diabetes Institute, Australia.
authors.forename: Simon
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Stewart
authors.affiliation: Centre for Cardiovascular and Chronic Care, University of Technology Sydney, Australia; Cardiovascular Nursing Research, St Vincent's, Sydney, Australia. Electronic address: patriciamary.davidson@uts.edu.au.
authors.forename: Patricia M
authors.initials: PM
authors.lastname: Davidson
mesh_terms: D001315:Australia / Q000453:epidemiology; D005260:Female; D006333:Heart Failure / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000628:therapy; D006760:Hospitalization; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors
keywords: Australia; Health disparities; Health status; Heart failure; Socioeconomic factors; Sydney