OBJECTIVES: Heart failure (HF) is a common complication after myocardial infarction (MI). However, a synthesis of contemporary evidence on the burden following MI is lacking. A targeted literature review was performed to summarize rates of HF-related admission and mortality, and direct costs for HF admissions after MI in the US.

METHODS: Data from original articles (identified using MEDLINE; January 2018-May 2023), and ACC proceedings (2022, 2023), were tabulated and a gap analysis performed. Due to the breadth of identified literature, this summary focuses on publications that included a generalizable sample of patients with MI, without restricting to a particular subgroup of the MI population.

RESULTS: From 2,665 records, 11 studies presented HF admissions rates after MI; rates at 30 days, 6 months, and 1 year after MI ranged from 0.7%-2.9%, 1.3%-6.9%, and 1.4-9.1%, respectively. Earlier study period, and female patient sex, older age, Black race, or presence of other cardiovascular complications and comorbidities (hypertension, diabetes, and kidney disease) were associated with elevated HF admission rates after MI. Four studies reported on HF-related mortality after MI. Among patients with MI (without cardiogenic shock) who were admitted for HF within 6 months, 4.6% died during HF admission. In another study, 17% of patients with incident MI experienced HF hospitalization after MI hospitalization or death from HF over the median follow-up of 3 years. Renal disease and Black race were significant risk factors for HF-related mortality after MI. No data on the cost of HF admissions after MI were identified.

CONCLUSIONS: HF is a common cause of admission after MI in the US. There is a gap in the literature regarding HF-related mortality and the cost of HF admissions after MI. The identified studies highlight the extent of the burden and need for interventions to reduce the risk of HF after MI.