In order to bring you the best possible user experience, this site uses Javascript. If you are seeing this message, it is likely that the Javascript option in your browser is disabled. For optimal viewing of this site, please ensure that Javascript is enabled for your browser.
Did you know that your browser is out of date? To get the best experience using our website we recommend that you upgrade to a newer version. Learn more.

One-third of heart failure patients do not return to work

Return to work more likely in men, younger patients, and those with higher education level

Heart Failure


EMBARGOED: 22 May 2016 at 08:30 CEST

Florence, Italy – 22 May 2016: One-third of patients hospitalised with heart failure for the first time have not returned to work one year later, reveals a study in nearly 12 000 patients presented today at Heart Failure 2016 and the 3rd World Congress on Acute Heart Failure by Dr Rasmus Roerth, a physician at Copenhagen University Hospital in Copenhagen, Denmark.1

 

“Employment is crucial for self esteem and quality of life, as well as being of financial importance, in patients with all kinds of chronic illness,” said Dr Roerth.

 

He continued: “Inability to maintain a full time job is an indirect consequence of heart failure beyond the usual clinical parameters of hospitalisation and death. Most information on heart failure is derived from studies in older patients since they are the majority. This has led to a knowledge gap regarding the impact of living with heart failure among younger patients, who perhaps have the most to lose from the condition.”

 

The study included 11 880 heart failure patients of working age (18 to 60 years) who were employed prior to being hospitalised for heart failure. Information on age, length of hospital stay, gender, education level, income, comorbidities and working status was obtained from Danish nationwide registries.2 All Danish residents are included in the registries and have a unique personal identification number making it possible to link information on an individual level.

 

The researchers found that one year after being hospitalised for heart failure for the first time, 68% of patients had returned to work, 25% had not, and 7% had died.

 

Dr Roerth said: “Among patients who are alive one year after their first heart failure hospitalisation, 37% did not return to work, which is a substantial proportion. It confirms that heart failure significantly reduces a patient’s capacity to maintain a normal life and live independently.”

 

Younger patients (18 to 30 years) were over three times more likely to return to work than older patients (51 to 60 years). “This is perhaps not that surprising because younger patients have fewer comorbidities and may have a greater determination to stay employed,” said Dr Roerth.

 

Patients with a higher level of education were twice as likely to return to work as those with basic schooling. Dr Roerth said: “This could be because higher education is associated with less physically demanding jobs. In addition, it may be more possible for highly educated patients to arrange a flexible work life.”

 

Men were 24% more likely to return to work than women. “We do not think that this is primarily explained by men having a better recovery than women,” said Dr Roerth. “It could be that men are more often forced to return to work, for economical and other reasons. Having a work identify may be more important to men.”

 

Conversely, patients were less likely to return to work if they had stayed in hospital for more than 7 days, or had a history of stroke, chronic kidney disease, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, diabetes or cancer.

 

Dr Roerth said: “It’s important to highlight that our findings are associations and not necessarily causal connections. The associations might help to identify which patients are at the greatest risk of becoming unemployed after being in hospital with heart failure for the first time.”

 

He continued: “More research is needed to better understand why this loss of employment occurs among those who were working before they went into hospital. It could be that physicians are afraid to advise returning to work because they have unfounded concerns about the risks. Some patients may have been wrongly told they were at high risk of death but could safely return to the workforce.”

 

Dr Roerth concluded: “Removal from the labour market and dependence on public benefits has great economic consequences which go beyond the already significant financial burden that these patients place on the healthcare system. More knowledge on what stops patients going back to work will put us in a better position to find ways of preventing it, for example with more intensive rehabilitation, psychological support, or education.”

 

ENDS

References

1Dr Roerth will present the abstract ‘Return to work after first hospitalization for heart failure’ during Poster Session 2: Chronic heart failure which takes place on 22 May from 08:30 to 18:00 in the Poster Area.

2The following Danish nationwide registries were used: Danish database on all public welfare payments, Danish National Patient Registry, National Population Registry, Population’s Education Register, The Income Statistics Register.

Notes to editor

About Heart Failure 2016 and the 3rd World Congress on Acute Heart Failure

Heart Failure is the annual congress of the Heart Failure Association of the ESC. The 3rd World Congress on Acute Heart Failure is part of the main programme of Heart Failure 2016.

 

About the Heart Failure Association

The Heart Failure Association (HFA) is a registered branch of the ESC. Its aim is to improve quality of life and longevity, through better prevention, diagnosis and treatment of heart failure, including the establishment of networks for its management, education and research.

 

About the European Society of Cardiology

The European Society of Cardiology (ESC) represents more than 95 000 cardiology professionals across Europe and the Mediterranean. Its mission is to reduce the burden of cardiovascular disease in Europe.

 

Information for journalists attending Heart Failure 2016

Heart Failure 2016 takes place 21 to 24 May in Florence, Italy at the Fortezza da Basso. The full scientific programme is available here

  • To register on-site please bring avalid press card or appropriate letter of assignment with proof of three recent published articles (cardiology or health-related, or referring to a previous ESC Event).
  • Press registration is not available to industry or its public relations representatives, event management, marketing or communications representatives.