Epidemiology and Aetiology of Cardiac Failure in the Somme

The epidemiology of cardiac failure (CF) is little known in France. Our work, integrated in the prospective ETICS (epidemiology and therapeutics of cardiac insufficiency in the Somme) study, was aimed at determining the incidence of hospitalisaion. the epidemiological profile, the causes of CF, as well as the frequency of cardiac failure with preserved systolic function in the Somme.Method: patients hospitalised for a first attack of CF from January 1 to December 31, 2000 in one of the 11 medical establishments in the Somme were included.Results: during this period, 799 patients were included. The male/female ratio was 1.05; the mean age was 75 +/- 12 years, for males it was less than for females (72 +/- 12 and 78 +/- 11 years respectively p<0.001); 60% of patients were >75 years. The average length of hospitalisation was 10.8 +/- 7 days. The hospital mortality was 8.4% (N=67). The standardised hospital incidence was 1.92parts per thousand of inhabitants per year and varied from 0.06parts per thousand among those under 40 years to 14.7parts per thousand in those over 80 years. The left ventricular ejection fraction, evaluated in 82.8% of patients, was greater than 50% in 55% of cases. The 2 principal causes found were: ischaemic (40%) and hypertensive (39%).Conclusion: the hospital incidence of CF in the Somme during the year 2000 was 1.92parts per thousand. The proportions of males and females were equivalent. This disease preferentially affects the elderly. CF with preserved systolic function is common (55% of cases), particularly in elderly subjects.