Heart Failure

Despite advances over the past decade, Heart Failure (HF) remains a significant healthcare and economic burden. According to the American Heart Association (AHA), 6.2 million Americans aged 20 and older suffer from HF and the number is expected to increase by almost 50% by 2030. Worldwide, HF affects over 30 million people.

The lifetime risk of HF increases with age, and over 50% of hospitalizations of persons aged 65 or older are attributable to HF. In the United States, the total HF-related costs were estimated to USD 30.7 billion in 2012. Key cost-drivers include the re-hospitalization rates of over 50%, treatment costs, and the fact that no effective treatments are available. Projections suggest that by 2030, the total HF cost will increase to USD 69.8 billion. Heart failure (HF) is a serious condition characterized by the heart’s inability to pump an adequate supply of blood to the body.

Symptoms include fatigue, palpitations, and exertional dyspnea that may be accompanied by specific signs such as elevated jugular venous pressure, pulmonary crackles, and peripheral edema. HF may result from disorders of the pericardium, myocardium, endocardium, heart valves, great vessels, or specific metabolic abnormalities. These disorders affect the structure or function of the heart which results in reduced cardiac output and/or elevated intracardiac pressures at rest or during stress. Left untreated, symptoms gradually worsen, resulting in increased morbidity, clinically driven hospitalizations, and higher mortality.