Binary patient characteristics at HF diagnosis in each cohort
| Factor | 2001/2002 cohort | 2011/2012 cohort | ||||
| N present | Frequency | Per cent | N present | Frequency | Per cent | |
| HF symptoms up to diagnosis | ||||||
| Presence of: any heart failure symptom | 5981 | 2790 | 46.6 | 12 830 | 7173 | 55.9 |
| Presence of: breathlessness/SOB/SOBE | 5981 | 2161 | 36.1 | 12 830 | 5809 | 45.3 |
| Presence of: fatigue | 5981 | 629 | 10.5 | 12 830 | 1685 | 13.1 |
| Presence of: ankle swelling | 5981 | 584 | 9.8 | 12 830 | 1716 | 13.4 |
| First-symptom presence of: breathlessness | 5981 | 1860 | 31.1 | 12 830 | 4934 | 38.5 |
| First-symptom presence of: fatigue | 5981 | 498 | 8.3 | 12 830 | 1200 | 9.4 |
| First-symptom presence of: ankle swelling | 5981 | 440 | 7.4 | 12 830 | 1127 | 8.8 |
| Physiological indicators | ||||||
| eGFR below 60 mL/min | 56 | 23 | 41.1 | 8005 | 3469 | 43.3 |
| Social vulnerability indicators | ||||||
| Living alone | 5981 | 342 | 5.7 | 12 830 | 1219 | 9.5 |
| Widowed or bereaved | 5981 | 376 | 6.3 | 12 830 | 761 | 5.9 |
| Comorbidity components | ||||||
| Comorbidity: 1 atrial fibrillation | 5981 | 1533 | 25.6 | 12 830 | 5397 | 42.1 |
| Comorbidity: 2 arrhythmia other than atrial fibrillation | 5981 | 617 | 10.3 | 12 830 | 2346 | 18.3 |
| Comorbidity: 3 diabetes | 5981 | 979 | 16.4 | 12 830 | 3023 | 23.6 |
| Comorbidity: 4 hypertension | 5981 | 2528 | 42.3 | 12 830 | 8966 | 69.9 |
| Comorbidity: 5 renal diseases | 5981 | 363 | 6.1 | 12 830 | 4069 | 31.7 |
| Comorbidity: 6 myocarditis | 5981 | 82 | 1.4 | 12 830 | 329 | 2.6 |
| Comorbidity: 7 acute myocardial infarction | 5981 | 949 | 15.9 | 12 830 | 2229 | 17.4 |
| Comorbidity: 8 congenital heart disease | 5981 | 20 | 0.3 | 12 830 | 97 | 0.8 |
| Comorbidity: 9 coronary heart disease | 5981 | 2057 | 34.4 | 12 830 | 5119 | 39.9 |
| Comorbidity: 10 chronic pulmonary disease | 5981 | 1281 | 21.4 | 12 830 | 3440 | 26.8 |
| Comorbidity: 11 stroke | 5981 | 458 | 7.7 | 12 830 | 1140 | 8.9 |
| Comorbidity: 12 peripheral vascular disease | 5981 | 517 | 8.6 | 12 830 | 1482 | 11.6 |
| NHS contacts in previous year | ||||||
| CABG | 5981 | 37 | 0.6 | 12 830 | 92 | 0.7 |
| PTCA | 5981 | 33 | 0.6 | 12 830 | 314 | 2.4 |
| Pacemaker | 5981 | 52 | 0.9 | 12 830 | 205 | 1.6 |
| Any hospital bed admission | 5981 | 2682 | 44.8 | 12 830 | 7311 | 57.0 |
| Elective bed admission without HF primary diagnosis | 5981 | 1314 | 22.0 | 12 830 | 3567 | 27.8 |
| Emergency bed admission without HF primary diagnosis | 5981 | 1940 | 32.4 | 12 830 | 5593 | 43.6 |
| Emergency non-HF bed admission (1 day only) | 5981 | 137 | 2.3 | 12 830 | 1045 | 8.1 |
| Emergency non-HF bed admission (at least one night) | 5981 | 1873 | 31.3 | 12 830 | 5173 | 40.3 |
| 4+min GP appointment | 5981 | 4700 | 78.6 | 12 830 | 12 251 | 95.5 |
| 4+min practice nurse appointment | 5981 | 2614 | 43.7 | 12 830 | 9243 | 72.0 |
| Home visit appointment | 5981 | 2108 | 35.2 | 12 830 | 4317 | 33.6 |
| Out of hours appointment | 5981 | 862 | 14.4 | 12 830 | 2378 | 18.5 |
| Medications at baseline: | ||||||
| Beta blockers (BNF chapter 2.4) | 5981 | 1453 | 24.3 | 12 830 | 5013 | 39.1 |
| Thiazide-related diuretics (BNF chapter 2.2.1) | 5981 | 1158 | 19.4 | 12 830 | 2434 | 19.0 |
| Loop diuretics (BNF chapter 2.2.2) | 5981 | 2349 | 39.3 | 12 830 | 5504 | 42.9 |
| Aldosterone antagonists (spironolactone or eplerenone) | 5981 | 186 | 3.1 | 12 830 | 709 | 5.5 |
| Renin–angiotensin system drugs (BNF chapter 2.5.5) | 5981 | 1903 | 31.8 | 12 830 | 6967 | 54.3 |
| Glucocorticoid therapy (BNF chapter 6.3.2) | 5981 | 870 | 14.5 | 12 830 | 2464 | 19.2 |
| Atypical antipsychotics (BNF chapter 4.2.1.2 or drug names) | 5981 | 59 | 1.0 | 12 830 | 146 | 1.1 |
CABG, coronary artery bypass graft; eGFR, estimated glomerular filtration rate; GP, general practitioner; HF, heart failure; PTCA, percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty; SOB, shortness of breath; SOBE, shortness of breath on exertion.