Objective: To investigate the correlation between the gene polymorphism of rs12696304 in chromosome 3q26 and 1-year survival rate in the patients with acute heart failure (AHF). Methods: A total of 336 elderly patients of Han population in South China (aged≥60 years) with AHF were enrolled during March 2012 and April 2016. DNA of each patient was extracted from peripheral blood, and the gene polymorphism of rs12696304 was analyzed by real-time fluorescence quantitative PCR with TaqMan probe. One-year survival rate was compared between the patients with diffe-rent gene typing in multiple genetic models using Kaplan-Meier and log-rank test. The Cox regression analysis was used to assess relation between the gene polymorphism of rs12696304 and 1-year survival rate in the patients with AHF. Results: In the co-dominant genetic model, the 1-year survival rate of the AHF patients carrying heterozygous CG genotypes was lower than that of patients carrying wild homozygous GG genotypes (74.8% vs 85.4%, P=0.027). In the dominant genetic model, 1-year survival rate of the AHF patients carrying CG+CC genotype was significantly lower than that of patients carrying the wild homozygous GG genotype (74.9% vs 85.4%, P=0.023). Further Cox regression analysis showed that the risk of 1-year death in the AHF patients carrying CG+CC genotype was 2.45 times of that in the patients with GG genotype (HR=2.45, 95%CI: 1.22-4.95, P=0.012) after adjustment with the relevant variables in codominant model, and in the dominant model, the risk of 1-year death was also 2.45 times of that in patients with GG genotype (HR=2.45, 95%CI: 1.24-4.84, P=0.010). Conclusions: The gene polymorphisms of rs12696304 located in chromosome 3q26 region may be associated with the 1-year prognosis in the patients with AHF.