Prognostic Impact of Diabetes on Long-term Survival Outcomes in Patients With Heart Failure: A Meta-analysis

Abstract

Objective: Several studies have explored the impact of diabetes on mortality in patients with heart failure (HF). However, the extent to which diabetes may confer risk of mortality and hospitalization in this patient population remains imperfectly known. Here we examine the independent prognostic impact of diabetes on the long-term risk of mortality and hospitalization in patients with HF.

Research design and methods: PubMed, Scopus, and Web of Science from January 1990 to October 2016 were the data sources used. We included large (n ≥1,000) observational registries and randomized controlled trials with a follow-up duration of at least 1 year. Eligible studies were selected according to predefined keywords and clinical outcomes. Data from selected studies were extracted, and meta-analysis was performed using random-effects modeling.

Results: A total of 31 registries and 12 clinical trials with 381,725 patients with acute and chronic HF and 102,036 all-cause deaths over a median follow-up of 3 years were included in the final analysis. Diabetes was associated with a higher risk of all-cause death (random-effects hazard ratio [HR] 1.28 [95% CI 1.21, 1.35]), cardiovascular death (1.34 [1.20, 1.49]), hospitalization (1.35 [1.20, 1.50]), and the combined end point of all-cause death or hospitalization (1.41 [1.29, 1.53]). The impact of diabetes on mortality and hospitalization was greater in patients with chronic HF than in those with acute HF. Limitations included high heterogeneity and varying degrees of confounder adjustment across individual studies.

Conclusions: This updated meta-analysis shows that the presence of diabetes per se adversely affects long-term survival and risk of hospitalization in patients with acute and chronic HF.