Angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitor use in elderly patients hospitalized with heart failure and left ventricular systolic dysfunction.

Purpose: Although angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors are recommended for all patients with systolic heart failure, prior studies suggest that elderly cohorts are less likely to receive such therapy. The purpose of this study was to determine the age dependence of adherence to guideline-based medical care in hospitalized heart failure patients.

Methods: We performed a multicenter observational cohort study including 613 patients admitted to participating hospitals with a primary diagnosis of heart failure with ejection fraction < or =40%.