The burden of heart failure in North America and Western Europe

Area of Science:

• Cardiology
• Public Health
• Epidemiology

Background:

• Heart failure (HF) presents a substantial health burden in North America (NA) and Western Europe (WE).
• Understanding the patient journey from diagnosis through treatment, stabilization, and decompensation is key to managing HF.
• The study visualizes this HF patient lifecycle using a cyclical flow diagram.

Purpose of the Study:

• To quantify the burden of heart failure (HF) in North America and Western Europe.
• To analyze the prevalence, hospitalization rates, and treatment patterns for HF in these regions.
• To identify the most commonly prescribed medications for chronic heart failure (CHF).

Main Methods:

• Data were sourced from national databases and primary/secondary research.
• Information included HF hospitalizations, prevalence, disease severity, and treatment modalities.
• A cyclical flow diagram was employed to illustrate the patient journey.

Main Results:

• In 2020, an estimated 3.6 million HF hospitalizations occurred in NA and 5.2 million in WE.
• Diagnosed prevalent chronic HF (CHF) cases reached 7.6 million in NA and 8.7 million in WE.
• The majority of hospitalized HF patients and 86-88% of prevalent CHF cases receive drug treatment, with beta-blockers and loop diuretics being the most prescribed in NA and WE, respectively.

Conclusions:

• The significant burden of heart failure in NA and WE necessitates enhanced strategies.
• Current drug treatments are widely utilized for both acute and chronic HF.
• Greater emphasis on preventing ischemic heart disease is recommended to mitigate the overall HF burden.