A cohort study utilized data from the Get With the Guidelines Heart Failure registry, analyzing patient outcomes through Medicare claims data and employing Cox proportional hazards regression models to evaluate the relationship between discharge estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) and subsequent kidney health outcomes. Involving 85,298 Medicare beneficiaries hospitalized for heart failure (HF), researchers found that older adults face significant risks of adverse kidney outcomes within a year post-hospitalization. Specifically, 6% of these individuals progressed to dialysis, and 63% were discharged with an eGFR of less than 60 mL/min per 1.73 m². The risk of kidney complications, including dialysis and acute kidney injury (AKI), increased significantly with lower discharge eGFR, highlighting the vulnerability of this population to kidney-related health issues following HF hospitalization.

The study emphasizes the importance of prioritizing kidney health in older adults hospitalized for HF, given their high susceptibility to kidney complications. The findings underscore the need for healthcare strategies that focus on preserving kidney function to improve outcomes for this high-risk group.

Reference: Ostrominski JW, Greene SJ, Patel RB, et al. Kidney Outcomes Among Medicare Beneficiaries After Hospitalization for Heart Failure. JAMA Cardiol. Published online May 29, 2024. doi:10.1001/jamacardio.2024.1108