Job Status & Heart Failure

Unemployment after hospitalization is associated with a 50% higher risk of death in patients with heart failure, according to research presented at Heart Failure 2017 and the 4th World Congress on Acute Heart Failure, which is underway (April 29- May 2) in Paris, France.

The observational study in more than 20,000 heart failure patients (18 to 60 years) in Denmark found that not being employed was linked with a greater likelihood of death than history of diabetes or stroke.  “The ability to hold a job brings valuable information on wellbeing and performance status,” said lead author Dr Rasmus Roerth, a physician at Copenhagen University Hospital, Denmark. “And workforce exclusion has been associated with increased risk of depression, mental health problems and even suicide.” “In younger patients with heart failure, employment status could be a potential predictor of morbidity and mortality,” he added.