Prognostic value of transthoracic echocardiography parameters in patients with chronic heart failure: A Tunisian cohort

Introduction Heart failure (HF) has a dark prognosis due to the high rate of mortality and re-hospitalization. Objective The aim of our study was to identify among the echocardiographic parameters those predictive of mortality and re-hospitalization in patients with chronic heart failure with reduced ejection fraction after 6 months. Method We performed a prospective cohort involving 110 patients, hospitalized for HF with ejection fraction (EF)  Results After 6 months of regular follow-up, 19 patients died and 36 patients were hospitalized. In multivariate analysis, six parameters were identified as independent predictor factors of mortality: an EF  Conclusion The evaluation of echocardiographic parameters in patients with chronic heart failure may provide a precise prognosis of this serious disease. This non-invasive exam seems to be extremely valuable and potentially useful for guiding the therapeutic and follow-up strategies in heart failure in order to reduce the problem posed for the global healthcare systems through the increasing rate of mortality and hospitalization caused by this invalid disease.