Determinants of survival in patients with chronic heart failure: a population‐based study in Reggio Emilia, Italy

AIMS: We aim to monitor and improve the quality of the heart failure (HF) integrated assistance model defined by national and regional guidelines and implemented in the province of Reggio Emilia, Italy. Specific aims of the audit were to estimate the prevalence of HF, describe the characteristics of patients with HF and the rate of patients enrolled in the integrated care treated in primary care, and identify socioeconomic and geographic determinants of the 4‐year survival of these patients. METHODS AND RESULTS: Retrospective analysis of a cohort of prevalent cases of HF, diagnosed before 31 December 2015 in Reggio Emilia, Italy, alive on 1 January 2016, and residing at the time of diagnosis on the provincial territory. Age and sex‐adjusted prevalence of HF by area of residence were calculated according to the standard European population 2013. Patients were followed until death or 31 December 2019, whatever came first. The outcome measure of the study was four‐year case fatality. Cox proportional hazards models, adjusted for age, sex, and duration of disease were used to determine the association between socio‐geographic factors and death. The 4‐year case‐fatality rate was 36.7%, and it was the highest in the mountains (50.8%) compared with hills (34.6%), lowland (35.4%) and city (37.7%). The prevalence of HF was the lowest in the mountain [149.9, 95% confidence interval (CI) 112.1–187.7] and the highest in the lowland (340.8, 95% CI 308.7–372.9) and city (308, 95% CI 276.0–321.2). Patients living in the mountains had a lower deprivation index, and fewer hospitalizations prior to official diagnosis, although these characteristics were not statistically significant determinants of HF death in multivariate analysis. Behavioural (smoking and obesity) and socio‐geographic characteristics (educational level, deprivation index and area of residence) were not significantly associated with mortality in both univariable and multivariable analysis; however, patients who live in mountains (hazard ratio 1.10, 95% CI 0.73–1.66) or hills (hazard ratio 1.11, 95% CI 0.90–1.37) had a slightly higher risk of death than those living in the city. Only 197 (12.1%) of patients in the cohort were enrolled in the integrated care pathway over the course of 4 years. CONCLUSIONS: Although clinical determinants outweigh the geographic and behavioural disparities in the survival of patients with CHF treated in primary care, effective prevention strategies are needed to address environmental and socio‐geographic inequalities in access to primary care and to hasten equitable linkage to integrated care.