Lower Prescription Rates in Centenarians with Heart Failure and Heart Failure and Kidney Disease Combined: Findings from a Longitudinal Cohort Study of Very Old Patients

Centenarians are considered as models of successful aging and represent a special group of patients. The aim of this study was to analyze heart failure epidemiology and treatment trajectories in centenarians compared to nonagenarians (90–99 years of age) and octogenarians (80–89 years of age) with heart failure and with heart failure and kidney disease combined.

This cohort study used quarterly structured routine data from 1398 German insurants over 6 years prior to death (398 centenarians were compared with 500 nonagenarians and 500 octogenarians). Of those, 525 individuals were diagnosed with heart failure before death; 164 had heart failure and kidney disease combined. Generalized estimation equations were used to assess the association of diagnoses of heart failure and other diseases with medication prescriptions.

Across age groups, heart failure was significantly more prevalent in centenarians compared with octogenarians and nonagenarians. Prevalence of heart failure increased over time. Female sex [odds ratio (men) = 0.70, p = 0.024], kidney disease (odds ratio = 1.31, p < 0.001), and hypertension (odds ratio = 1.52, p < 0.001) were all associated with heart failure. Overall, heart failure treatment changed significantly over time with an increased prescription rate of loop diuretics and a decreased rate of renin-angiotensin-system inhibitors. Centenarians were significantly less likely to receive treatment with renin-angiotensin-system inhibitors, loop diuretics, or beta-blockers compared with nonagenarians and octogenarians. Furthermore, aldosterone inhibitors were seldom prescribed; If-channel and neprilysin inhibitors were not routinely used in our sample. For those with heart failure and kidney disease combined, our data revealed that the prevalence of kidney disease was lower in centenarians than in younger patients before death. However, differences in prescription rates across age groups were non-significant, although numerically large. Finally, half of the patients in all three age groups with heart failure and kidney disease received treatment with renin-angiotensin-system inhibitors; about two out of five patients received beta-blockers, while prescription rates of aldosterone inhibitors were low.

While heart failure prevalence shows a continuous increase with age, prescription rates are lower in centenarians, emphasizing the need for further studies considering the quality of care and outcomes in this patient population. Disease management programs and trials are needed to develop guidelines that address the medically challenging treatment for very old patients with comorbid heart failure and kidney disease.