Costa R, Trêpa M, Oliveira M, et al. - In this study, heart failure (HF) occurrence was evident in a substantial proportion of contemporary ST-elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) patients, and this triplicates the risk of dying. The independent predictors of the development of HF and all-cause death were: older age, diabetes and left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) <50%.

• In this retrospective study, 700 STEMI patients treated with primary percutaneous coronary intervention at a tertiary hospital were included.

• A median follow-up of 43.6 months revealed occurrence of HF events in 110 patients (15.7%), 34 (4.8%) managed as outpatients and 76 (10.9%) needing hospitalization.

• In 76% of those who developed HF, the presence of LVEF <50% was evident.

• Other identified independent predictors included: age (hazard ratio [HR] 1.03), diabetes (HR 1.85), door-to-balloon time (HR 1.002), Killip-Kimball class ≥II (HR 2.24) and LVEF <50% (HR 1.71).

• The incidence of all-cause death was 8.7%, and HF was independently related to a threefold elevated risk of dying (HR 3.52).