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Heart Failure

Heart Failure

The term ‘heart failure’ does not mean that your heart has actually failed, but rather that your heart is not pumping blood around your body efficiently enough for normal functioning.4 Heart failure can arise due to various factors, and if left untreated can result in serious complications such as a heart attack or stroke.

Heart failure is most likely to trouble people of sixty-five years or older, with the average age of someone suffering from heart failure being around seventy-five.4, 8 In people older than seventy-five the prevalence of heart failure increases dramatically: around 190 out of every 1,000 people in Britain older than seventy has the condition.5

Heart failure is not only common in the UK. In the United States there are about five million sufferers, resulting in around 300,000 deaths each year.6 In addition, around 550,000 new cases of heart failure are diagnosed in the country each year.7 In Europe, around 14 million people have heart failure8, while worldwide, it affects around 2.5% of the population. Overall, men are more likely than women to be affected by heart failure in all age groups.5

Heart failure is most commonly found in Western countries for two main reasons:

  • Patients with cardiovascular disease receive better treatment, which allows them to live longer. The longer the patient lives, the more worn down the heart muscle becomes, leading to an increased risk of damage or malfunction, such as heart failure.
  • As a whole, the population is ageing as a result of better living conditions. Since heart failure is typically a disease of the elderly, there are increased numbers of people with the condition.8

Heart failure can affect the left side, right side, or both sides of your heart, which in turn can determine the symptoms of the condition. Other factors that determine the severity of the condition include your age, family health history, and overall health.4

Heart failure can usually be effectively treated using a combination of medication and lifestyle changes; so even if you have the condition, you can still live a relatively normal and long life.4

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Last Updated 12/06/2009 12:18:04
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