OBJECTIVES: To examine whether the total burden of comorbidity and pattern of co-occurring conditions varies in individuals with heart failure (HF) with preserved left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) (HF-P) or HF with reduced LVEF (HF-R). DESIGN: Cross-sectional cohort study.

SETTING: Four participating health plans within the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute-sponsored Cardiovascular Research Network.

PARTICIPANTS: All members aged 65 and older with HF based on hospital discharge and ambulatory visit diagnoses.

MEASUREMENTS: Participants with a LVEF of 50% or greater were classified as having HF-P. Presence of cardiac and noncardiac comorbidities was obtained from health plan administrative databases.

RESULTS: Of 23,435 individuals identified with HF and LVEF information, 53% (12,407) had confirmed HF-P (mean age 79.6; 60% female). More than three-quarters of the sample had three or more co-occurring conditions in addition to HF, and half had five or more cooccurring conditions. Participants with HF-P had a slightly higher burden of comorbidity than those with HF-R (mean 4.5 vs 4.4, P = .002). Patterns of how specific conditions co-occurred did not vary in participants with preserved or reduced systolic function.

CONCLUSION: There is a high degree of comorbidity and multiple morbidity in individuals with HF. The burden and pattern of comorbidity varies only slightly in individuals with preserved or reduced LVEF. Geriatrics Society.