Our aim was to describe the incidence and predictors of in-hospital mortality and long-term mortality and morbidity in elderly patients after a first admission due to diastolic HF (DHF). Six hundred and seventy nine consecutive elderly patients with a first admission to hospital due to DHF comprised our study group. Mean age was 83.3+/-6.7 (464 women--68.3%). A history of dilated cardiomyopathy was associated to increased in-hospital mortality and age and pulmonary artery systolic pressure were identified as independent markers of bad long-term outcome. Thus, patients with DHF have high mortality during and after the first admission.