Abstract / Summary
Muscular dystrophies (MDs) may cause heart failure (HF), but outcomes specific to MD-related HF are poorly characterized. We evaluated outcomes of HF hospitalizations in patients with MDs compared to patients without MD in the United States. Discharge data from HF hospitalizations were abstracted from the Nationwide Readmissions Database (2016–2022) and stratified by the presence or absence of MD (MD-HF vs. non-MD-HF). Logistic regression and lognormal models were estimated to assess differences in inpatient mortality, length of stay (LOS), total costs, in-hospital events, and 30-day and 90-day all-cause readmissions. Propensity-score matching (PSM) was used to control baseline differences between the MD-HF and non-MD-HF cohorts. 8,466,806 HF hospitalizations were included in the analysis, of which 3688 (0.04%) involved patients with MD. MD-HF hospitalizations involved younger patients (mean age 55.3 vs. 71.3 years, p < 0.001) with higher rates of HF with reduced ejection fraction (HFrEF) compared to non-MD-HF hospitalizations (48.1% vs. 34.9%, p < 0.001). Compared to non-MD-HF hospitalizations, MD-HF hospitalizations were associated with significantly higher odds of inpatient mortality (OR 3.01, 95% CI: 2.03, 4.45); in-hospital events, including cardiogenic shock, cardiac arrest, and mechanical ventilation; palliative care consultation; as well as more extended hospital LOS, higher total costs, and lower odds of home (all p < 0.001). MD was not associated with a significant difference in odds of 30-day and 90-day all-cause readmissions. MD-HF hospitalizations were associated with worse outcomes, with higher inpatient mortality, complication rates, and resource utilization, and a lower rate of home discharge compared to non-MD-HF hospitalizations. What is already known: What this study adds: