Heart Failure

February 2013

What is Heart Failure?

Heart failure is a complex cardiovascular disorder with a variety of etiologies and heterogeneity with respect to the clinical presentation of the patient. It is significantly increasing in prevalence with an aging population and is associated with high short- and long-term mortality rate.

Significance of Heart Failure

• Heart failure is the only cardiovascular disease with increasing prevalence.
• Over 80% of patients diagnosed and treated for acute heart failure in the
  emergency department are readmitted within the forthcoming year, incurring costly treatments and therapies.¹
• In patients over 65 years old, heart failure is both the most common hospital diagnosis and the most costly Medicare diagnosis.
• The prognosis for a patient with heart failure is worse than for most cancers.

Heart Failure Progression

References

1. Weintraub NL, Collins SP, Pang PS, et al: Acute heart failure syndromes: emergency department presentation, treatment, and disposition: Current approaches and future aims: a scientific statement from the American Heart Association. Circulation 2010;122:1975–1996