What is Heart Failure?
Heart failure means that the
heart muscle can not work the way it should and isn't pumping the right amount
of blood to all parts of the body. Heart failure doesn't mean that the heart
has stopped but rather that it is failing to pump as effectively as it should.
Heart Failure, also known as congestive heart failure or CHF is an epidemic
that affects nearly 5 million patients in the US. There are 400,000 - 700,000
new cases diagnosed each year. Approximately 1 out of every 100 people over the
age of 65 will develop heart failure.1-3
Heart failure is the primary diagnosis for over 900,000 hospitalizations
each year and contributes to more than 2.6 million additional hospitalizations.
Approximately 80% of the hospitalizations are for people over the age of 65.
More Medicare dollars are spent for the treatment of heart failure than any
other diagnosis. 1-3
Mortality for heart failure remains high, despite advances in medical care.
Heart failure directly or indirectly contributes to nearly 300,000 deaths per
year. The mortality rate is approximately 20% in the first year after diagnosis
and 50% at 5 years. 1-3
1ACC/AHA Guidelines for the Evaluation and
Management of Chronic Heart Failure in the Adult. 2001. www.acc.org/clinical/guidelines/failure/hf
and www.americanheart.org.
2American Heart Association Heart Disease and
Stroke Statistics 2004 Update. www.americanheart.org.