AIMS: From recent data of registries from Europe and U.S., it is known that prognosis of acute heart failure is grim. However, the prognosis of patients with acute heart failure in Korea is not well known. We tried to find the characterization and prognosis of Korean patients with acute heart failure from Kangdong sacred heart hospital registry. METHODS AND RESULTS: From Nov 2007 to April 2009, 285 patients (age: 67짹13 years, female 56%) newly admitted to Kangdong Sacred Heart hospital for acute congestive heart failure (patients with preserved left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF>40%), 47%) were included in our study. They were followed-up for a minimum of 6 months (median 466짹282 days). In-hospital mortality was 6.3%. Postdischarge mortality and postdischarge readmission rate within 3 months were 7.1% and 8.3%, respectively. From univariate analysis, age, LVEF, ischemic cause, B-type natriuertic peptide (BNP), troponin release, and medication of ACEI/ARB or beta-blockers were identified as prognostic factors of all-cause mortality. From multivariate analysis, age>70, troponin release on admission, and medication with beta-blockers at discharge were identified as independent predictors of mortality (odds ratio, OR 0.23, confidence interval, CI 0.10 to 0.52, P<0.0001, OR 0.28, CI 0.13 to 0.62, P=0.002, OR 4.29, CI 1.87 to 9.87, P=0.01, respectively). CONCLUSION: Our study showed the prognosis of Korean patients with acute heart failure was similar with that of registries from Europe and U.S.. Age>70, troponin release on admission, and medication with beta-blockers at discharge were identified as independent predictors of all-cause mortality.