Diabetes and heart failure notions from epidemiology including patterns in low-, middle- and high-income countries

About 463 million people are currently living with diabetes and 64 million with heart failure and in addition, substantial proportions of both diseases are undiagnosed. At ages above 65 years prevalence of diabetes is estimated to be around 19% and heart failure at least 10%. In the western world, incidence of both diabetes and heart failure are slightly decreasing while prevalent cases are increasing in high as well as middle and low-income countries due to a general increased longevity and successful prevention and treatment of cardiac disease and of diabetes complications. Therefore, we will see an increase of epidemic proportions of both diabetes and heart failure if novel preventive strategies are not appropriately introduced. Type 1 and type 2 diabetes are both major contributors to the development of heart failure and the combination of diabetes and heart failure severely affects prognosis. In addition, the changing faces of diabetes complications have resulted in heart failure more often being the first manifestation of cardiac complications. An updated scenario on diabetes and heart failure epidemiology to health care providers is important in order to direct resources towards effective preventive strategies.