Abstract
Introduction: Digoxin use is associated with a lower risk of hospital admission and readmission in patients with heart failure with reduced ejection fraction (HFrEF). Moreover, PROVED and RADIANCE trials have shown that digoxin discontinuation is associated with lower ejection fraction (EF), higher heart rate, and worse heart failure (HF) symptoms in chronic HFrEF patients. Despite these results, digoxin use has declined over recent years. In this study, we examined the clinical impact of digoxin discontinuation at hospital discharge in elderly patients with HFrEF. Hypothesis: Digoxin discontinuation at hospital discharge will increase mortality and heart failure readmission in HFrEF patients. Methods: Of 10,625 patients hospitalized with HFrEF (EF≤40%) in Medicare-linked OPTIMIZE-HF registry, 3,225 were receiving digoxin prior to admission but it was discontinued in 655 of these patients at the time of discharge. Propensity scores for digoxin discontinuation, estimated for each of the 3,225 patients, were used to match 616 pairs of patients (digoxin continued vs. discontinued) balanced on 60 baseline characteristics including age (mean 76 years), EF (mean 26%), gender (31% females) and race (15% African America) among others. Results: Among 1,232 matched patients, digoxin discontinuation was associated with a higher risk of all-cause mortality at 30-days (12% vs. 8%; HR 1.45; 95% CI 1.01-2.07; p=0.044) and 6-months (HR 1.32; p=0.009) but not at 1-year (HR 1.18; p=0.07). Digoxin discontinuation was also associated with increased combined heart failure readmission/all-cause mortality at 4-years of follow up (HR 1.16; 95% CI 1.03-1.30; p=0.017). Conclusions: In patients with HFrEF receiving digoxin prior to admission, digoxin discontinuation at discharge from hospital is associated with increased short-term all-cause mortality and long-term heart failure readmission/all-cause mortality.
Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
