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Background/aim: Heart failure (HF) is associated with a wide range of comorbidities that negatively impact clinical outcomes and cause high economic burden. We aimed to evaluate the frequency and burden of comorbidities in HF patients in Türkiye and their relationships with patients' demographic characteristics. Materials and methods: Based on ICD-10 codes in the national electronic database of the Turkish Ministry of Health covering the entire population of Türkiye (n = 85,279,553) from 1 January 2016 to 31 December 2022, data on the prevalence of comorbidities in HF patients were obtained. The frequency and burden of comorbidities were analyzed separately by age groups, sex, and socioeconomic status (SES). Results: Between 2016 and 2022, there were 2,722,151 patients (51.7% female) of all ages who were diagnosed with HF. In Türkiye, the most common comorbidities of HF patients were hypertension (HT) (97.6%), atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD) (84.9%), dyslipidemia (59.5%), anxiety disorder (48.1%), diabetes mellitus (DM) (45.2%), chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) (43.6%), anemia (40.6%), and atrial fibrillation (AF) (37.1%). Female patients had higher rates of anemia, DM, HT, and anxiety disorders, while male patients had higher rates of ASCVD, COPD, and dyslipidemia. The most common comorbidity in patients under 20 years of age was congenital heart disease (52.3%). More than 90% of HF patients had ≥2 comorbidities. HF patients with ≥5 comorbidities increased from 18.1% in the group aged 20--49 years to 38.3% in the group aged 50--79 years. Comorbidities were similar across SES groups. Conclusion: The most common comorbidities in cases of HF in Türkiye are HT, ASCVD, dyslipidemia, DM, COPD, anemia, and AF, respectively, and more than 90% of patients have ≥2 comorbidities. While ASCVD and dyslipidemia were more common in male patients, anemia, DM, and anxiety disorders were more common in female patients. The number of comorbid conditions increased with advanced age. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background/aim: Despite Türkiye's relatively young population, there is an emerging trend of earlier diagnoses of chronic diseases, including heart failure (HF). This study aims to shed light on survival rates, potential influences of guideline-directed therapies, and sex-based differences necessitating personalized management in HF. Materials and methods: We conducted a nationwide retrospective cohort analysis of 2,722,151 patients with HF using deidentified data from the Turkish Ministry of Health's national electronic database. That cohort included 2,701,099 adult patients with HF. Adult patients were divided into two groups based on their outcomes as those who were deceased and those who survived and were then compared. Multivariate regression analysis was conducted to identify variables predicting mortality. The patients' hospital admissions and length of hospital stay were analyzed based on survival status and age. Results: Out of 2,722,151 HF patients, the overall mortality rate was 33.7%, with a difference observed according to sex (32.5% in female patients, 35.0% in male patients). Survival rates at 1, 5, and 7 years after the HF diagnosis were detailed. Deceased HF patients had more comorbidities, higher natriuretic peptides, and lower glomerular filtration rates. Hospitalization patterns varied, with 41% experiencing no hospitalization. The average length of hospital stay in 2022 was 6 days, with sex- and age-specific disparities. Conclusion: The survival rate of HF in Türkiye is similar to world data. The survival of female patients is better than that of male patients. Increased survival rates can likely be attributed to the widespread use of guideline-directed therapies. Finally, high healthcare utilization is observed, especially in emergency situations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background/aim: Effective management of heart failure involves evidence-based use of multiple medications and their combinations. Furthermore, dosage escalation of the recommended medications is advised. In cases of advanced heart failure, long-term mechanical assistance devices or heart transplantation surgery may be necessary. Socio-economic disparities create unequal opportunities for people to access these treatments. The study aimed to analyze and compare medical and advanced heart failure treatments recommended by guidelines across various regions in Türkiye. Materials and methods: About 85 million citizens medical treatment records were utilized between January 1, 2016, and December 31, 2022. Medical and heart replacement treatment opportunities for heart failure in Türkiye were evaluated in the general population and across different geographical regions. Results: According to this study, beta-blockers were the most commonly prescribed medication for heart failure in Türkiye. This was followed by angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors at 44% and mineralocorticoid receptor antagonists at 38.9%. However, only 0.6% of patients used angiotensin receptor blocker-neprilysin inhibitors. Despite the high incidence of diabetes mellitus among heart failure patients, only 11% used sodium-glucose cotransporter two inhibitors. The study also found that using an implantable cardioverter defibrillator (ICD) was 0.8%, and cardiac resynchronization therapy (CRT) was 0.3% among all intracardiac device treatments. Heart replacement therapies, cardiac transplantation surgery, and long-term left ventricle-assisted device (LVAD) surgery had very low rates. Conclusion: The use of guideline-directed medical therapy is not optimal in Türkiye and varies across different geographical regions. It is a fact that heart transplant or LVAD surgery, CRT, and ICD implantation rates in Türkiye are significantly lower than those in developed countries, regardless of geographical region. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Data on the clinical course and outcomes of COVID-19 disease among patients with a history of heart failure (HF) are scarce. Therefore, the aim of this study was to assess the clinical characteristics, prognostic biomarkers and in-hospital outcomes of patients with a history of HF hospitalised with confirmed COVID-19. A total of 8321 consecutive patients hospitalised with suspected COVID-19 disease were screened. Furthermore, 3849 patients with laboratory-confirmed SARS-CoV-2 infection were included in the study. Two hundred and forty COVID-19 patients with a history of HF and 240 without HF paired with PSM were evaluated. Mean age was 72.7 ± 9.90 years, and 64.6% were men. Oxygen saturation, systolic and diastolic blood pressure at admission were significantly lower and heart rate was significantly higher in patients with a history of HF compared to those without. Patients with HF, compared to those without, had significantly higher leukocyte count, D-dimer, CRP, procalcitonin, hsTnI, lactate and lower albumin and lymphocyte. Compared with patients without HF, those with previous HF had a longer length of stay at ICU (6.22 d vs. 3.71 d; p < 0.001), increased risk of mechanical ventilation (42.1% vs. 15.4%; p < 0.001), in-hospital death (39.2% vs. 15.4%; p < 0.001) and composite outcomes (52.9% vs. 17.1%; p < 0.001). History of HF is associated with a higher risk of mechanical ventilation, cardiogenic shock, mortality and longer ICU stay in patients hospitalised for COVID-19, therefore the diagnosis of HF alone is important for predicting clinical outcomes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]