Low health literacy tied to worse heart failure outcomes

(HealthDay)—Poor health literacy is associated with worse heart failure outcomes, according to a review published in the June issue of JACC: Heart Failure.

Matteo Fabbri, M.D., from the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota, and colleagues conducted a systematic literature review to evaluate associations between health literacy and health-related outcomes in patients with heart failure.

Based on 15 studies, the researchers found that an average of 24 percent of patients with heart failure had inadequate or marginal health literacy. There was an association between inadequate health literacy and higher unadjusted risk for mortality (risk ratio [RR], 1.67), hospitalizations (RR, 1.19), and emergency department visits (RR, 1.17). In an adjusted analysis, findings remained statistically significant for an association between health literacy and mortality (RR, 1.41) and hospitalizations (RR, 1.12). Two of four interventional studies effectively improved outcomes among patients with inadequate health literacy.

Source: Read Full Article

Related posts:
  1. Not all saturated fats are equal when it comes to heart health
  2. Chronic noise can impact heart health
  3. Young-Onset Type 2 Diabetes Tied to Increased Hospitalization Risk
  4. Yes, Crohn’s Can Impact Your Eye Health. Here’s What You Need To Know.
  5. Medicaid expansion tied to higher mammography rates