Diabetes as a predictor of in-hospital and one-year outcomes after decompensated heart failure

Abstract Diabetes and heart failure are closely interdependent, but its significance in decompensated heart failure (DHF) is not uniformly accepted. Objective . To compare mortality between diabetics and non-diabetics with DHF. Methods and Results . In-hospital and one-year mortality of 1,004 consecutive patients with DHF: 25.6% diabetics; median age was 81, 53% male. Diabetics were younger, more often male, with higher prevalence of ischemic etiology and reduced ejection fraction. Congestion was the most prevalent finding in both groups. In hospital mortality was 6.3% vs 6.6 % in non-diabetics and diabetics respectively and one-year mortality was 35.77% in non-diabetics and 29.3% in diabetics. There were no significant differences in mortality at univariate and multivariate analyses. We applied a propensity score restricted to 378 patients, 189 (50%) diabetics and 189 (50%) and no significant differences were found. Conclusion . Diabetes had no impact on prognosis in DHF. Advanced age may played a major role in outcomes i thus making less relevant the presence of diabetes.