Researchers compared the cardiovascular outcomes of patients hospitalized for heart failure that did or did not experience diabetic emergencies.
Patients with heart failure (HF) who experienced diabetic emergencies had lower rates of mortality and cardiovascular events compared to patients who did not, according to data presented at the Heart Failure Society of America 2024 Annual Meeting.1 The researchers believe the diabetic emergency group may have benefited from more frequent hospital visits and monitoring of comorbidities.
“Approximately 40% of patients with [HF] have coexisting diabetes mellitus,” wrote the authors of the study. “We examined the cardiovascular outcomes among hospitalization for HF with and without diabetic emergencies.”
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Research from the past few decades has shown that, in many ways, diabetes and cardiovascular disease (CVD) go hand in hand. “Between 1982 and 2000, people with diabetes had the same risk of cardiovascular events as those with prior CVD. Consequently, diabetes is considered a ‘cardiovascular risk equivalent,’” wrote authors of a study published in JAMA Network.2
According to the poster presented at the meeting, researchers examined a total of 2,782,004 patients (51% women) admitted to hospitals for HF. Among the patient population, participants were separated into 2 groups consisting of patients with diabetic emergencies or patients without diabetic emergencies. There were 14,129 patients included in the diabetic emergency group.1
Researchers examined cardiovascular outcomes of patients hospitalized for heart failure who either had or did not have diabetic emergencies. | image credit: GT77 / stock.adobe.com
To constitute a diabetic emergency, researchers assessed patients’ diabetic ketoacidosis, hyperosmolar hyperglycemic states, and diabetic hyperglycemia. The primary outcome for this study was in-hospital death, or mortality, with in-hospital events being the secondary outcomes; in-hospital events mainly included cardiovascular events like cardiogenic shock, stroke, myocardial infarction (MI), and sudden cardiac arrest.
For hospitalized patients with HF in the diabetic emergencies group, participants had higher comorbidities—including pulmonary disease, hypothyroidism, anemia, and hypertension—than those without diabetic emergencies. In the non-diabetic emergency group, patients had higher rates of in-hospital mortality, cardiogenic shock, acute stroke, acute MI, and sudden cardiac arrest.1
Regarding the overall comparison of both groups, patients hospitalized with HF who also experienced diabetic emergencies were significantly less susceptible to cardiovascular events than the individuals without diabetic emergencies. The diabetic emergency group also had a lower mortality rate, leading researchers to ask if the frequency of hospital visits can lead toward better in-hospital outcomes in the future.
Previous research has found that comorbidities were associated with an increased risk of mortality and a shorter overall life expectancy.3 However, with comorbidities leading to increased hospital visits and a more focused monitoring of outcomes, researchers are aiming to learn more about whether instances such as HF and diabetic emergencies can result in better long-term health outcomes.1
“Patients admitted for HF without diabetic emergencies had high mortality rates and in-hospital cardiovascular events despite having less associated comorbidities. This could in part be due to frequent hospitalization or frequent clinic visits by patients who have more comorbidities as well as diabetic emergencies during hospitalization. Close monitoring should also be given to patients with less comorbidities or less severity of illness during and post hospitalization to ensure their improvement of the aforementioned outcomes,” concluded Nebuwa’s poster.
Click here for more coverage of the Heart Failure Society of America 2024 Annual Meeting.
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