IMPACT OF ANEMIA ON LENGTH OF HOSPITAL STAY IN PATIENTS ADMITTED WITH HEART FAILURE

Background: Anemia is a common comorbidity in heart failure and has been linked to poor outcomes, including increased mortality, reduced functional capacity, and higher hospitalization rates. However, its impact on the duration of hospital stay, particularly in resource-limited settings, remains underexplored. Objective: To evaluate the impact of anemia on the length of hospital stay among patients admitted with heart failure in tertiary care hospital. Methods: This cohort study was conducted over six months in the Department of Cardiology, Khyber Teaching Hospital, Peshawar. A total of 460 patients aged 40–80 years with diagnosed heart failure were enrolled using non-probability consecutive sampling. Patients were divided into two groups based on the presence or absence of anemia, defined as hemoglobin <13 g/dL in males and <12 g/dL in females. Data on demographics, clinical characteristics, NYHA class, hemoglobin levels, and hospital stay duration were collected. Statistical analysis was performed using SPSS v25, with significance set at p ≤ 0.05. Results: Out of 460 patients, 230 had anemia and 230 did not. The anemic group had a longer mean hospital stay (4.83 ± 3.95 days) compared to the non-anemic group (3.76 ± 2.69 days), with the difference being statistically significant (p < 0.05). The anemic group also showed a higher proportion of NYHA Class III–IV status and lower mean hemoglobin levels (10.8 ± 1.1 g/dL vs. 13.9 ± 0.7 g/dL). Conclusion: Anemia is associated with a significantly longer hospital stay in heart failure patients, highlighting the need for routine screening and management of anemia in this population to potentially reduce healthcare burden.