Clinical, Economical and Organizational Impact of Chronic Ischemic Cardiovascular Disease in Italy: Evaluation of 2019 Nationwide Hospital Admissions Data

Background: /Objectives: Chronic ischemic cardiovascular disease (CICD) a common cardiovascular diseases and a frequent cause of hospitalization, with significant differences between men and women. It is also an important comorbidity, affecting hospitalization length and mortality. The purpose of this paper is to investigate clinical and economic impact of chronic ischemic cardiovascular disease on hospital admissions of non-surgical patients. Methods: all Internal Medicine, Cardiology, and Geriatrics admissions in Italy during year 2023 have been considered. to assess the impact of typical comorbidities in elderly patients and to better understand how users diversify across the three specialties and whether the differences are significant between males and females. Results: The typical CICD patient is elderly (average age 80y) and stays longer (+10.5 days) compared to the average one. They are also typically chronic patients with many comorbidities (respiratory and renal failure, as well as atrial fibrillation) in Geriatrics and Internal Medicine Departments, while in the Cardiology Departments atrial fibrillation and outcomes of acute cardiovascular events predominate. Conclusions: CICD is a condition that leads to more hospitalizations in Internal Medicine Departments than in Cardiology and Geriatrics Departments and generates an average hospitalization value in line with the average one in Internal Medicine and Geriatrics Departments. In Cardiology the average value level is higher also than the Department average. Gender differences were found in In Cardiology Departments; this data could suggest that the existing Guidelines are affected by studies carried out mainly on males which lead to fewer recommendations for interventional procedures on females.