Mittnacht A

Language: English
References: 0
Page: 128-129
PDF size: 123.19 Kb.

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The American Heart Association annually updates and publishes statistics on heart diseases and stroke. According to that source, heart failure is highly prevalent with 6.5 million adults currently being affected in the U.S, and one million new cases every year. One in eight death certificates list heart failure as one of the diagnoses. Risk factors include hypertensive disease, coronary artery disease, diabetes, obesity, smoking, and low socioeconomic status. Predictions are that the prevalence of heart failure will increase by 46% by the year 2030. Even though survival is improved, currently 50% of patients die within five years of heart failure diagnosis. The current total costs for heart failure are over $30 billion U.S., with estimates more than doubling this amount by 2030.
Heart failure is typically classified based on the underlying function. Primarily systolic heart failure also termed heart failure with reduced ejection fraction (HFrEF), and those patients with heart failure symptoms from diastolic dysfunction and preserved systolic function (HFpEF). While there are effective treatment options available for HFrEF, HFpEF is still associated with a poor prognosis and few treatment options are available. In order to advance research and new treatment strategies a new class of heart failure patients, heart failure with midrange EF has been defined (HFmEF, EF 40-49%).