Factors Affecting Mortality in Heart Failure Patients at Tha Luang Hospital, Lopburi Province

Abstract

Background: Heart failure is a major global health problem, associated with impaired quality of life, frequent hospitalizations, and high mortality, particularly in advanced stages. Identifying risk factors for in-hospital mortality is essential to optimize management, improve outcomes, and reduce the burden on healthcare systems. Methods: This retrospective cohort study analyzed patients admitted with heart failure to a community hospital. Competing risk regression analysis was employed to identify clinical and laboratory factors associated with inhospital mortality. Variables included demographic characteristics, comorbidities, laboratory findings, and clinical parameters. Results: The analysis revealed that female sex, smoking, elevated serum hemoglobin levels, higher serum creatinine levels, and increased heart rate were significantly associated with an increased risk of in-hospital mortality. Conversely, a higher body mass index (BMI) was significantly associated with a lower risk of mortality. Conclusions: In this cohort of heart failure patients, female sex, smoking, higher hemoglobin, elevated creatinine, and increased heart rate emerged as significant predictors of mortality, while higher BMI demonstrated a protective effect. These findings underscore the importance of integrating clinical, laboratory, and lifestyle factors into risk stratification models. Improved recognition of these predictors may support more tailored and effective management strategies for heart failure, particularly in community hospital settings where resources are limited.