Association between demographic, organizational, clinical, and socio-economic characteristics and underutilization of cardiac resynchronization therapy: results from the Swedish Heart Failure Registry.
Cardiac resynchronization therapy (CRT) improves outcomes in heart failure (HF) but may be underutilized. The reasons are unknown.
We linked the Swedish Heart Failure Registry to national registries with ICD-10 (International Classification of Diseases-10th Revision) co-morbidity diagnoses and demographic and socio-economic data. In patients with EF =39% and NYHA II-IV, we assessed prevalence of CRT indication and CRT use. In those with CRT indication, we assessed the association between 37 potential baseline covariates and CRT non-use using multivariable generalized estimating equation (GEE) models. Of 12 807 patients (mean age 71?±?12?years, 28% female), 841 (7%) had CRT, 3094 (24%) had an indication for but non-use of CRT, and 8872 (69%) had no indication. Important variables independently associated with CRT non-use were: HF duration 75?years (RR 1.13, 95% CI 1.09-1.18); non-cardiology care at baseline (RR 1.10, 95% CI 1.07-1.14); small-town non-university centre (RR 1.08, 95% CI 1.05-1.12); female sex (RR 1.07 95% CI 1.03-1.10) (all P