Incidence and hospital mortality due to heart failure. Are there any differences by sex?

Background: Gender may influence the incidence, severity and hospital mortality due to heart failure (HF). Aim: To evaluate the influence of sex on the proportion of patients hospitalized due to heart failure, its incidence and hospital mortality. Methods: Analysis of the hospital discharge database of the Chilean Ministry of Health during 2014. All hospital admissions for HF were considered according to ICD-10 codes, including the discharge diagnosis of congestive HF (7500), left ventricular HF (1501) and non-specified HF (1509). Incidence rates, proportion of discharges due to HF and hospital mortality were calculated according to age and sex. Results: During 2014, there were 1,306,431 discharges from Chilean hospitals. Of these, 125,484 were for cardiovascular disease and 10% of these corresponded to HF (12,825). The incidence rate was slightly higher in men than in women (0.71 and 0.70 per 1,000 admissions respectively). Among patients aged 80 years or more, the prevalence of admissions for HF was higher in women (19.1 and 15.9% respectively, p < 0.01). Hospital mortality was also higher in women (9.7 and 8.6% respectively, p = 0.03). The factors associated with a higher hospital mortality were an age over 80 years (Odds Ratio (OR) 2.11; 95% confidence intervals (CI): 1.87-2.40; p < 0.01), a length of stay over seven days (OR 1.13; 95%CI: 1.01-1.29; p = 0.04), being admitted to high complexity facilities (OR 1.29; 95%CI: 1.12-1.50; p = 0.01) and being insured by the public national health fund (OR 1.94; 95%CI: 1.54-2.43; p < 0.01). Conclusions: The incidence of hospital admissions due to HF is similar in men and women. There is high hospital mortality, especially in women.