Abstract
Objectives: (1) To describe the characteristics and ELAN – HF score in hospitalized heart failure patients with reduced ejection fraction (HFrEF). (2) To evaluate external validation of the ELAN‐HF (European Collaboration on Acute Decompensated Heart Failure) score to predict the combined endpoint of HF hospitalizations or death six months after discharge.
Methods: 96 patients diagnosed with HFrEF at Vietnam National Heart Institute were studied. Clinical and laboratory parameters of the patients on admission and discharge were collected then we calculated the ELAN – HF score. Patients were monitored for mortality, first HF re-hospitalization in six months after discharge.
Results: Most patients in the study had ELAN - HF scores in the intermediate-risk and high-risk categories, with rates of 54.2% and 27.1%, respectively. During a mean follow-up time of 6 months, 22,9% died, 39,6% were rehospitalized for HF, and 64,6% had an HF hospitalization and/or death. The median risk score in patients with events was significantly higher than that in patients without events (3.76±1.35 and 2.21±1.14, respectively, p<0.001). The results of Cox regression analysis showed that ELAN – HF score was an independent predictor of the combined endpoint of mortality or hospitalization due to HF (HR = 3,18; 95%CI: 1,65-5,82). The ELAN - HF score demonstrated modestly for 6-month mortality (AUC=0.74, 95% CI 0.64 – 0.85) but showed good discrimination capacity for combined mortality and HF hospitalization (AUC=0.88, 95% CI 0.81 – 0.94).
Conclusion: The ELAN – HF risk score is a simple, easy-to-use, yet powerful stratification method for both mortality and HF hospitalization in HF with reduced ejection fraction.