Heart Failure and the Risk of Recurrent Cardiovascular Events in Patients Attending Outpatient Clinics in the United Arab Emirates

BACKGROUND: Heart failure (HF) prognosticates a death sentence, and despite recent advances in treatment, long-term outcomes for patients with advanced HF are very poor, with only a 50%–60% survival rate at 5 years. This is alarming for the approximately 26 million people worldwide living with HF. AIMS AND OBJECTIVES: This study aimed to investigate the relationship between HF and the risk of recurrent cardiovascular disease (CVD) events or CVD death among the national population in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). MATERIALS AND METHODS: A retrospective study was conducted from April 2008 to September 2019 including 240 patients ≥18 years with a previous vascular event. Patient outcomes such as CVD death, the occurrence of a recurrent vascular event, or until the end of the study period, whichever occurred first. RESULTS: Twenty-three patients (9.6%) had a concomitant diagnosis of HF and this doubled the risk of recurrent CVD events or death over 9 years. HF, age, lower body mass index, and atrial fibrillation were significant predictors of recurrent CVD or mortality. The mean age was 65 years and the risk of a CVD event or death increased at a rate of 3% for every increasing year of age. Patients with HF have approximately a 65% likelihood of survival at 5 years, whereas those without HF have about an 85% at 5-year survival. CONCLUSION: HF is a strong predictor of recurrent CVD events or mortality in UAE patients with established CVD. Thus, aggressive management of modifiable risk factors for vascular disease through multidisciplinary teams guides clinicians toward meticulous control of CVD risk factors to improve disease prognosis and premature death.