Ejection fraction and mortality: a nationwide register-based cohort study of 499 153 women and men

Abstract

Aims: We investigated the sex-based risk of mortality across the spectrum of left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) in a large cohort of patients in Australia. Methods and results: Quantified levels of LVEF from 237 046 women (48.1%) and 256 109 men undergoing first-time, routine echocardiography (2000–2019) were linked to 119 232 deaths (median 5.6 years of follow-up). Overall, 17.6% of men vs. 8.3% of women had an LVEF <50%. An LVEF <40% was associated with the highest crude cardiovascular-related and all-cause mortality at 5 years (∼20–30% and ∼ 40–50%, respectively). Thereafter, actual cardiovascular-related and all-cause mortality at 5 years in both sexes steeply improved to a nadir ..