What is it about?
Heart failure (HF) is a common condition that occurs when the heart is unable to pump blood through the body due to an abnormality in cardiac structure, function or both. Characterised by breathlessness, swelling and fatigue, HF is one of the leading cause of hospitalisations and deaths among older people. HF hospitalisations have declined in developed countries over the last three decades with advances in prevention and treatment. However, less is known about long-term survival and its impact on life expectancy with contemporary care. We evaluated survival and life expectancy up to 10 years after an HF hospitalisation using national data from Australia and New Zealand.
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Why is it important?
Knowing the prognosis of this common condition is critical for patients and families seeking to understand the impact of their condition. It is equally important for clinicians and for public health efforts seeking to improve the quality of HF care and patient outcomes.
Perspectives
Our nationwide study showed HF persistently being a societal burden with a poor long-term prognosis and a marked loss in life expectancy despite advances in diagnosis and treatment. We also found that patients with HF often have co-existing conditions that impact survival. Furthermore, most HF patients are elderly and age-related factors (geriatric syndromes) are common, meaning that multidisciplinary care is needed for treatment and prevention if we are to improve patient survival.
Saranya Hariharaputhiran
Pondicherry Institute of Medical Sciences
Read the Original
This page is a summary of: Long‐term Survival and Life Expectancy Following an Acute Heart Failure Hospitalisation in Australia and New Zealand, European Journal of Heart Failure, June 2022, Wiley,
DOI: 10.1002/ejhf.2595.
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