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Getting the latest healthcare news for you
Getting the latest healthcare news for you
A large population-based study found that adults hospitalized for severe infections were nearly twice as likely to develop heart failure compared to those without such hospitalizations. Current risk calculators underestimate this danger by up to 9% in patients with a prior infection-related hospitalization. The findings suggest severe infections should be recognized as a key risk-enhancing factor for heart failure.
A new study published in the Journal of the American Heart Association found that severe infections significantly raise the long-term risk of developing heart failure (HF). Researchers analyzed data from over 80,000 adults in Olmsted County, Minnesota, and found that those hospitalized for a severe infection were nearly twice as likely to develop HF compared to those without such a hospitalization.
The study also revealed a critical gap in current risk prediction tools. The widely used PREVENT-HF equations underestimated the 10-year HF risk by nearly 9% in both men and women who had a prior infection-related hospitalization (IRH). While adding IRH history to the equation only modestly improved statistical discrimination, the authors suggest it could still help clinicians identify high-risk patients earlier.
By the Numbers
Why it matters: Severe infections are common, and this research highlights that their cardiovascular consequences may be underappreciated. Clinicians should consider infection history when assessing a patient's heart failure risk, especially for those who've required hospitalization.
