HF outcomes not predicted by lack of fresh food options

ORLANDO, Fla. — Lack of access to fresh food may negatively impact health outcomes of patients with, but does not correlate with HF hospital readmission rates, according to a poster presented at the Heart Failure Society of America Scientific Assembly.

Between January 1, 2013 and December 1, 2013, patients with a diagnosis of HF were admitted to a university hospital in Atlanta and observed for the study. The researchers sought to determine whether low access to food is linked to health outcomes that population.

The researchers input each patient’s ZIP code into the U.S. Department of Agriculture Food Access Research Atlas to identify those with and without access to fresh foods. Low-access areas were defined as any region where 33% or more of a population of at least 500 people lived over 1 mile from a supermarket in an urban area or more than 10 miles from one in a rural area.

Thirty-day readmission rates, in-hospital mortality and length of stay for low access and adequate access patients were also compared.

Of the 1,620 unique patients from the study (median age, 65 years; 54% men; 50% white), 785 (48.5%) lived in low-access areas while 835 (51.5%) lived in adequate access areas.

The population included patients with HF with preserved ejection fraction (49.4%) and patients with HF with reduced ejection fraction (50.6%) in almost equal numbers.

In a multiple Chi-squared regression analysis, which took into account age, sex, race, BMI, ejection fraction, and access to food, HFrEF was the only variable to be associated with 30-day readmission rates (P = .003), the researchers found.

Limited access to fresh food did not predict 30-day readmission rates, regardless of ejection fraction, BMI or location after discharge, according to the researchers.

The overall in-hospital mortality rate was 3.9%. Patients with 30-day readmission and adequate access had higher mortality rates (9.8%) when compared to those with 30-day readmission and low access (2.4%; P = .173).

The length of stay was 9.93 days for patients with low food access and 9.86 days for patients with adequate food access (P = .615).

“Further investigation with a larger cohort and incorporating broader geography is needed,” the researchers wrote on the poster. – by Dave Quaile

Reference:

DeMoss B, et al. Poster 053. Presented at: Heart Failure Society of America Scientific Assembly; Sept. 17-20, 2016; Orlando, Fla.

Disclosure: Cardiology Today could not obtain relevant financial disclosures.