title: Life expectancy for community-based patients with heart failure from time of diagnosis.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Heart failure has been demonstrated in previous studies to have a dismal prognosis. However, the modern-day prognosis of patients with new onset heart failure diagnosed in the community managed within a disease management programme is not known. The purpose of this study is to report on prognosis of patients presenting with new onset heart failure in the community who are subsequently followed in a disease management program.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A review of patients referred to a rapid access heart failure diagnostic clinic between 2002 and 2012 was undertaken. Details of diagnosis, demographics, medical history, medications, investigations and mortality data were analysed. A total of 733 patients were seen in Rapid Access Clinic for potential new diagnosis of incident of heart failure. 38.9% (n=285) were diagnosed with heart failure, 40.7% (n=116) with HF-REF and 59.3% (n=169) with HF-PEF. There were 84 (29.5%) deaths in the group of patients diagnosed with heart failure; 41 deaths (35.3%) occurred in patients with HF-REF and 43 deaths (25.4%) occurred in patients with HF-PEF. In patients with heart failure, 52.4% (n=44) died from cardiovascular causes. 63.8% of HF patients were alive after 5 years resulting on average in a month per year loss of life expectancy over that period compared with aged matched simulated population.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  In this community-based cohort, the prognosis of heart failure was better than reported in previous studies. This is likely due to the impact of prompt diagnosis, the improvement in therapies and care within a disease management structure.
authors.affiliation: Chronic Cardiovascular Disease Unit, St Michaels Hospital, Dun Laoghaire, Co Dublin, Ireland.
authors.forename: Stephanie
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: James
authors.affiliation: Chronic Cardiovascular Disease Unit, St Michaels Hospital, Dun Laoghaire, Co Dublin, Ireland.
authors.forename: David
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Barton
authors.affiliation: Chronic Cardiovascular Disease Unit, St Michaels Hospital, Dun Laoghaire, Co Dublin, Ireland.
authors.forename: Eoin
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: O'Connell
authors.affiliation: Chronic Cardiovascular Disease Unit, St Michaels Hospital, Dun Laoghaire, Co Dublin, Ireland.
authors.forename: Victor
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Voon
authors.affiliation: Chronic Cardiovascular Disease Unit, St Michaels Hospital, Dun Laoghaire, Co Dublin, Ireland.
authors.forename: Gillian
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Murtagh
authors.affiliation: Chronic Cardiovascular Disease Unit, St Michaels Hospital, Dun Laoghaire, Co Dublin, Ireland.
authors.forename: Chris
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Watson
authors.affiliation: Chronic Cardiovascular Disease Unit, St Michaels Hospital, Dun Laoghaire, Co Dublin, Ireland.
authors.forename: Theodore
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Murphy
authors.affiliation: Chronic Cardiovascular Disease Unit, St Michaels Hospital, Dun Laoghaire, Co Dublin, Ireland.
authors.forename: Brian
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Prendiville
authors.affiliation: Chronic Cardiovascular Disease Unit, St Michaels Hospital, Dun Laoghaire, Co Dublin, Ireland.
authors.forename: David
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Brennan
authors.affiliation: Chronic Cardiovascular Disease Unit, St Michaels Hospital, Dun Laoghaire, Co Dublin, Ireland.
authors.forename: Mark
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Hensey
authors.affiliation: Chronic Cardiovascular Disease Unit, St Michaels Hospital, Dun Laoghaire, Co Dublin, Ireland.
authors.forename: Louisa
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: O'Neill
authors.affiliation: Chronic Cardiovascular Disease Unit, St Michaels Hospital, Dun Laoghaire, Co Dublin, Ireland.
authors.forename: Rory
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: O'Hanlon
authors.affiliation: Chronic Cardiovascular Disease Unit, St Michaels Hospital, Dun Laoghaire, Co Dublin, Ireland.
authors.forename: Deirdre
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Waterhouse
authors.affiliation: Chronic Cardiovascular Disease Unit, St Michaels Hospital, Dun Laoghaire, Co Dublin, Ireland.
authors.forename: Mark
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ledwidge
authors.affiliation: Chronic Cardiovascular Disease Unit, St Michaels Hospital, Dun Laoghaire, Co Dublin, Ireland. Electronic address: joseph.gallagher@ucd.ie.
authors.forename: Joseph
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Gallagher
authors.affiliation: Chronic Cardiovascular Disease Unit, St Michaels Hospital, Dun Laoghaire, Co Dublin, Ireland.
authors.forename: Kenneth
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: McDonald
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D015331:Cohort Studies; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006333:Heart Failure / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000401:mortality*; D006801:Humans; D008017:Life Expectancy / Q000639:trends*; D008297:Male; D011379:Prognosis; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012017:Referral and Consultation / Q000639:trends; D012111:Residence Characteristics; D013997:Time Factors; D014463:Ultrasonography
keywords: Diagnosis; Disease management programmes; Heart failure; Prognosis