Trends and characteristics of hospitalizations for heart failure in the United States from 2004 to 2018

Aims: Hospitalization for heart failure (HF) constitutes a major healthcare and economic burden. Trends and characteristics of hospitalizations for HF for the recent years are not clear. We sought to determine the trends and characteristics of hospitalization for HF in the United States. Method and results: A retrospective analysis of the National Inpatient Sample weighted data between 1 January 2004 and 31 December 2018, which included hospitalized adults ≥ 18 years with primary discharge diagnosis of HF using International Classification of Diseases-9/10 administrative codes. Main outcomes were trends in hospitalizations for HF (per 1000 person) and inpatient mortality (%) between 2004 and 2018. Conclusions: Hospitalizations for HF have been increasing across both sexes and age groups since 2013, whereas inpatient mortality has been decreasing over the study period. Blacks have the highest risk of hospitalization for HF, and Whites have the highest in-hospital mortality. There are significant racial and geographic disparities related to hospitalizations for HF.