Risk Of Ischemic Stroke In Newly Diagnosed Heart Failure Patients

Background: Heart failure (HF) is a major cause of hospitalization and may increase the risk of stroke. Atrial fibrillation (AF) is frequently diagnosed in HF patients and could lead to an even higher risk of stroke. Ongoing trials will provide insights how to best protect HF patients against stroke and other adverse events. Objective: To quantify the incremental risk of ischemic stroke among newly diagnosed patients with HF, and the risk of stroke among HF patients with and without AF. Methods: A retrospective study was conducted using the Truven Health Analytics MarketScan Databases (01/2010-04/2015). HF patients with ≥18 months of enrollment prior to the index HF were matched 1:1 with non-HF patients based on propensity score method. Ischemic stroke was identified as a primary diagnosis in a hospitalization. Incidence rate (IR) and Kaplan-Meier (KM) rates for strokes were evaluated. A sensitivity analysis was performed excluding patients whose HF was diagnosed near a stroke evaluation (i.e., within 14 ...