Talk to the Veterans Crisis Line now
U.S. flag
An official website of the United States government

VA Health Systems Research

Go to the VA ORD website
Go to the QUERI website

HSR&D Citation Abstract

Search | Search by Center | Search by Source | Keywords in Title

Variation by race in factors contributing to heart failure hospitalizations.

Singh H, Gordon HS, Deswal A. Variation by race in factors contributing to heart failure hospitalizations. Journal of cardiac failure. 2005 Feb 1; 11(1):23-9.

Dimensions for VA is a web-based tool available to VA staff that enables detailed searches of published research and research projects.

If you have VA-Intranet access, click here for more information vaww.hsrd.research.va.gov/dimensions/

VA staff not currently on the VA network can access Dimensions by registering for an account using their VA email address.
   Search Dimensions for VA for this citation
* Don't have VA-internal network access or a VA email address? Try searching the free-to-the-public version of Dimensions



Abstract:

BACKGROUND: Previous studies have shown a paradox of lower mortality in black compared with white patients after hospitalization for heart failure, in contrast to the overall higher mortality reported for nonhospitalized black patients with heart failure. We examined racial differences in factors contributing to hospitalization and in severity of illness in a cohort of black and white patients with heart failure who were hospitalized within a financially "equal access" health care system. METHODS AND RESULTS: We performed a retrospective cohort study on 100 black or white male veterans admitted with heart failure to a VA Medical Center (black, n = 52; white, n = 48). Severity of illness as measured by the APACHE II score, a generic severity score, was similar between black and white patients (P = .72). However, using a recently developed heart failure-specific risk score, we found that white patients had higher severity of illness (P = .03). White patients had a higher number of coexisting comorbidities than black patients (P = .01), while black patients more frequently had uncontrolled hypertension at the time of admission (P = .004). Nonclinical factors contributing to hospitalization-such as nonadherence with medications or diet, inadequate outpatient follow-up, poor social support, and substance abuse-were documented more frequently for black patients compared with white patients. CONCLUSIONS: At the time of hospitalization for heart failure, black patients may have an overall lower burden of disease and may more frequently have heart failure exacerbation precipitated by nonclinical factors. These findings may partly account for better long-term survival after hospitalization in black patients compared with white patients.





Questions about the HSR website? Email the Web Team

Any health information on this website is strictly for informational purposes and is not intended as medical advice. It should not be used to diagnose or treat any condition.