The association between socioeconomic status, sex, race/ethnicity and in-hospital mortality among patients hospitalized for heart failure

T Averbuch, MO Mohamed, S Islam, EM DeFilippis, K Breathett, MA Alkhouli, ED Michos, GP Martin, E Kontopantelis, MA Mamas, HGC Van Spall

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

101 Downloads (Pure)

Abstract

Background: The association between socioeconomic status (SES), sex, race / ethnicity and outcomes during hospitalization for heart failure (HF) has not previously been investigated. Methods and Results: We analyzed HF hospitalizations in the United States National Inpatient Sample between 2015 and 2017. Using a hierarchical, multivariable Poisson regression model to adjust for hospital- and patient-level factors, we assessed the association between SES, sex, and race / ethnicity and all-cause in-hospital mortality. We estimated the direct costs (USD) across SES groups. Among 4,287,478 HF hospitalizations, 40.8% were in high SES, 48.7% in female, and 70.0% in White patients. Relative to these comparators, low SES (homelessness or lowest quartile of median neighborhood income) (relative risk [RR] 1.02, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.00–1.05) and male sex (RR 1.09, 95% CI 1.07–1.11) were associated with increased risk, whereas Black (RR 0.79, 95% CI 0.76–0.81) and Hispanic (RR 0.90, 95% CI 0.86–0.93) race / ethnicity were associated with a decreased risk of in-hospital mortality (5.1% of all hospitalizations). There were significant interactions between race / ethnicity and both, SES (P < .01) and sex (P = .04), such that racial/ethnic differences in outcome were more pronounced in low SES groups and in male patients. The median direct cost of admission was lower in low vs high SES groups ($9324.60 vs $10,940.40), female vs male patients ($9866.60 vs $10,217.10), and Black vs White patients ($9077.20 vs $10,019.80). The median costs increased with SES in all demographic groups primarily related to greater procedural utilization. Conclusions: SES, sex, and race / ethnicity were independently associated with in-hospital mortality during HF hospitalization, highlighting possible care disparities. Racial/ethnic differences in outcome were more pronounced in low SES groups and in male patients.

Original languageEnglish
JournalJournal of Cardiac Failure
Early online date8 Oct 2021
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 8 Oct 2021

Keywords

  • Heart failure
  • race
  • sex
  • socioeconomic status

Fingerprint

Dive into the research topics of 'The association between socioeconomic status, sex, race/ethnicity and in-hospital mortality among patients hospitalized for heart failure'. Together they form a unique fingerprint.

Cite this