Heart failure hospitalization rates show dramatic increase, says study

New Orleans, November 10: The heart failure hospitalization rate among the older Americans has almost doubled in the past 27 years and the trend is likely to worsen unless effective and timely prevention measures are adopted, says the recent report from U.S. researchers.

According to the research presented at the American Heart Association’s Scientific Sessions 2008 in New Orleans, heart failure is reaching epidemic levels among nation’s seniors and the increase has been more dramatic among women than men.

Dr. Longjian Liu, M.D., Ph.D., M.Sc., author of the study and associate professor of Epidemiology and Biostatistics of the Drexel University School of Public Health in Philadelphia, Pa said, “Both the number of patients hospitalized with a primary diagnosis of heart failure and age-adjusted hospitalization rates for heart failure have increased dramatically over the past 27 years," and felt that “Over the next decades, the number of U.S. adults age 65 and older will double to a projected 70 million, and more than one in five will be 65 or older by the year 2030.”

The study led by Liu is considered to be the first ever to determine the chronic disease’s hospitalization rates over the last 27 years and examined hospital discharge data on more than 2.2 million people aged 65 and above between 1980-2006. The data revealed that the number of patients aged 65 and above who were hospitalized with heart failure jumped 131 percent to 807,082 in 2006, from 348,866 in 1980.

The study also revealed that hospitalization rates for heart failure continued to climb while there was a decline in the hospitalization rates for stroke and coronary arterydefine disease since the mid 1980s.

Heart failure occurs when the heart struggles to pump enough blood to fuel the different parts of the body. Nearly 5 million Americans have heart failure and at least 660,000 new cases are diagnosed each year.

Dr. Longjian Liu of Drexel University in Philadelphia said, “The prevention and treatment of heart failure has become an urgent public health need with national implications. Because heart failure disproportionately affects the elderly, there is no doubt that the burden of heart failure will increase unless innovative strategies are implemented,” said Liu. The chronic but more often deadly condition is likely to cost $34.8 billion to the nation’s health department this year.

Some of the most common factors that trigger the risk of heart failure included high blood pressure, stroke, heart and lung disease, diabetes, obesity and lifestyle factors such as smoking, lack of physical activity and a fatty diet, felt the authors of the study. “The key is to prevent risk factors for the disease,” they advised.

Heart failure is likely to become more threatening in the years ahead. The number of Americans aged 65 and above will almost double to more than 70 million by 2030 resulting in heart failure reaching epidemic levels. “We have to recognize that heart failure will get worse,” Liu said. “I don’t think at this stage that we can stop it immediately, because of the aging population.” He further felt that increase in the number of obese and overweight people will add to the problem of heart failure.