Summary of Up to 2% of Adults in Europe, North America, and Israel Likely Have Heart Failure:
Up to 2% of adults in Europe, North America, and Israel may have heart failure, according to a study published in Heart. Researchers analyzed digital health records from 11 countries and found a high prevalence of heart failure and linked health risks such as coronary artery disease and chronic kidney failure. The study warns that most heart failure cases are expected to rise as populations age and diagnosis improves. High associated costs make it urgent to prioritize heart failure in healthcare planning and strengthen risk management, according to the survey.
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Heart Failure Prevalence Reaches 2% in Europe, North America, and Israel.
A recent study published in the journal Heart reveals that up to 2% of adults in Europe, North America, and Israel may have heart failure, which poses significant health risks and high costs. The researchers analyzed digital health records from 11 countries and found a high prevalence of heart failure and associated health risks such as coronary artery disease and chronic kidney failure. The study’s findings highlight the urgent need for risk management and healthcare planning improvement.
Heart Failure Presents High Risks and Serious Complications
Heart failure is a condition that affects millions of people worldwide, and as populations age and diagnosis improves, the number of cases is expected to rise. Heart failure patients are at a high risk of death and additional serious complications, including coronary artery disease and chronic kidney failure. Moreover, treating heart failure is expensive, with Europe and the US each allocating 1-2% of their annual healthcare budgets towards its treatment.
New Study Uses Digital Medical Records to Assess Prevalence of Heart Failure
To estimate the prevalence, key unfavorable outcomes, and costs of heart failure in 11 countries, the CardioRenal and Metabolic Disease (CaReMe) heart failure study was designed. Researchers summarized and pooled the individual healthcare systems’ data for over 600,000 people with diagnosed heart failure in the participating countries between 2018 and 2020. Based on the data, the researchers estimated that heart failure’s prevalence among adults was 2% when applying the broad definition and 1% when applying the strict definition across all 11 countries and over 32 million people.
Risk Management Should Focus on Preventing Worsening Heart Failure and Kidney Function
Half of the 170,000 people with heart failure whose kidney function was measured had moderate to severe chronic kidney disease. Risks of annual hospital admission were highest for those with heart failure and chronic kidney disease and lower for those with other cardiovascular diseases such as heart attack, stroke, and peripheral artery disease. The annual death rate of patients with heart failure was 13%. These figures indicate that preventive treatment should primarily focus on stopping heart failure and kidney function from worsening.
Urgent Action Needed to Address Heart Failure Burden, Risks, and Costs
The costs of hospital care were highest for those with both heart and kidney disease, higher than those stemming from coronary artery disease and stroke. This observational study has limitations, including that the findings may not apply to other races or people with limited resources or access to healthcare. Nonetheless, the study’s findings indicate an urgent need for policymakers and healthcare providers to prioritize heart failure in healthcare planning, given the human and fiscal costs associated with the condition and its high prevalence in society.
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