The likelihood of being hospitalized for heart failure was roughly 30% less in 2008 than 1998, a new study revealed.

Rates of hospitalization for black males fell at a lower rate, while one-year mortality rates fell slightly during this period, Yale researchers found.

Using data from 55,097,390 fee-for-service Medicare beneficiaries hospitalized in the United States and Puerto Rico between 1998 and 2008, the investigators analyzed trends in heart failure hospitalization rates and one-year mortality rates post-heart failure hospitalization.

“The overall decline in the heart failure hospitalization rate was mainly due to fewer individual patients being hospitalized with heart failure rather than a reduction in the frequency of repeat hospitalizations,” said lead researcher Jersey Chen, M.D. “Also, the substantial geographic variation in heart failure hospitalization and one-year mortality rates represent marked differences in outcomes that are not explained by insurance status.”

Original post:
Study: Heart failure hospitalizations dropped significantly over 10 years – McKnight’s Long Term Care News