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Prevalence of symptomatic heart failure with reduced and with normal ejection fraction in an elderly general

Daniel Tiller1, Martin Russ, Karin Halina Greiser

  • 1Institute for Medical Epidemiology, Biostatistics, and Informatics Martin-Luther-University Halle-Wittenberg, Halle (Saale), Germany. daniel.tiller@medizin.uni-halle.de

Plos One
|April 5, 2013
PubMed

Insights

Chronic heart failure (CHF) prevalence is high in the general population, particularly in older adults. Hypertension and prior myocardial infarction are key determinants, highlighting the impact of cardiovascular risk factors.

Area of Science:

  • Cardiology
  • Public Health
  • Epidemiology

Background:

  • Chronic heart failure (CHF) presents a significant public health challenge with increasing incidence and prevalence.
  • Existing data on heart failure prevalence often focuses on specific populations, leaving gaps in general population understanding.
  • Limited information exists regarding the prevalence and determinants of symptomatic heart failure in the broader community.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To determine the prevalence of symptomatic chronic heart failure (CHF) in a general population sample.
  • To identify the key determinants associated with symptomatic CHF.
  • To differentiate between heart failure with reduced ejection fraction (HFREF) and heart failure with normal ejection fraction (HFNEF) within this population.

Main Methods:

  • Analysis of cross-sectional data from a population-based German sample of 1,779 subjects aged 45-83 years.
  • Utilized European Society of Cardiology criteria, incorporating symptoms, echocardiography, and serum NT-proBNP for diagnosis.
  • Prevalence rates were age-standardized to the German population as of December 31st, 2005.

Main Results:

  • The age-standardized prevalence of symptomatic CHF was 7.7% in men and 9.0% in women, increasing significantly with age.
  • Symptomatic HFREF accounted for 48% and HFNEF for 52% of CHF cases.
  • Hypertension (PR = 3.4) and previous myocardial infarction (PR = 2.5) were significantly associated with CHF.

Conclusions:

  • Symptomatic CHF prevalence in this population is notably high compared to previous studies.
  • While HFNEF affected more women and HFREF affected more men, overall CHF prevalence rises with age.
  • The high prevalence of CHF is likely driven by the widespread presence of cardiovascular risk factors.
Abstract

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