Recurrent heart failure hospitalizations increase the risk of mortality in heart failure patients with atrial fibrillation and type 2 diabetes mellitus in the United Kingdom: a retrospective analysis of Clinical Practice Research Datalink database

BACKGROUND: Heart failure (HF) is a global illness and is a leading cause of hospitalizations. Recurrent HF hospitalization (HFH) is associated with increased risk of cardiovascular (CV) and all-cause mortality, thereby burdening the health system. Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) and atrial fibrillation (AF) are two important comorbidities in patients living with HF. This study aims to assess the association between recurrent HFHs with CV and all-cause mortality in patients living with HF and having AF and/or T2DM. METHODS: This study was conducted using primary care data from the Clinical Practice Research Datalink database with linkage to hospital data and mortality data. Adults living with HF and with at least 1 HFH were identified from January 2010 to December 2014. Patients were grouped based on the number of recurrent HFHs. During follow-up, all-cause mortality or CV mortality for the HF population with AF and T2DM was recorded. RESULTS: Overall, 32.9% of 2344 T2DM patients and 28.2% of 4585 AF patients had at least 1 recurrent HFH. The patients were relatively elderly and were predominantly male. The mean number of all-cause hospitalizations in HF patients having T2DM and AF, with ≥ 1 recurrent HFH were significantly higher than patients without recurrent HFH. The annualized mortality rates in CV mortality as the primary cause and for all-cause mortality and increased with recurrent HFHs, in T2DM and AF patients. The risk of CV mortality as primary cause and all cause morality were 5.39 and 3.19 times higher in T2DM patients with 3 recurrent HFHs versus no recurrent HFH. Similarly, the risk of CV mortality as primary cause and all cause morality was 5.98 and 4.3 times higher in AF patients with 3 recurrent HFHs versus those with no recurrent HFH. CONCLUSIONS: Recurrent HFHs are strongly associated with CV mortality and all-cause mortality in HF patients with TD2M or AF. The hospitalization rate highlights the need for treatment and disease management, which will improve the course of the disease and help patients stay out of hospital. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s12872-022-02665-y.