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The burden of chronic congestive heart failure in older persons: magnitude and implications for policy and research

Frederick A Masoudi1, Edward P Havranek, Harlan M Krumholz

  • 1Division of Cardiology, Denver Health Medical Center, 777 Bannock Street, Denver, CO 80204, USA. fred.masoudi@uchsc.edu.

Heart Failure Reviews
|January 16, 2002
PubMed

Insights

Heart failure significantly impacts older adults, causing high hospitalizations and readmissions. More research is crucial to reduce this condition's burden in the elderly population.

Area of Science:

  • Gerontology
  • Cardiology
  • Public Health

Background:

  • Heart failure predominantly affects individuals aged 65 and older, representing 80% of US cases.
  • This demographic experiences poor long-term survival post-diagnosis and high rates of hospital admissions.
  • Older heart failure patients face a significant risk of hospital readmission within six months.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To emphasize the critical impact of heart failure in the aging population.
  • To identify key areas for research and policy development.
  • To reduce the substantial health and economic burden of heart failure in older adults.

Main Methods:

  • This is a review article.
  • It synthesizes existing data on heart failure in older populations.
  • It identifies research and policy gaps.

Main Results:

  • Heart failure is a leading cause of hospitalization for older adults.
  • Nearly half of older patients are readmitted within six months of discharge.
  • There is a notable lack of research specifically addressing heart failure in the elderly.

Conclusions:

  • Heart failure poses a significant challenge to the older population's health and healthcare systems.
  • Targeted research and policy interventions are essential.
  • Addressing these areas can mitigate the impact of heart failure in the elderly.

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