Barcelona, Saturday 30 August 2014. The Heart Failure Association (HFA) of the European Society of Cardiology (ESC) is calling for global policy change relating to heart failure. An international white paper, Heart failure: preventing disease and death worldwide, was published in May 2014.

Approximately 15 million people are living with heart failure in Europe (1), and 26 million worldwide(2). The outlook is poor: survival rates are worse than those for bowel, breast or prostate cancer, and the illness imposes a huge burden on patients, caregivers and healthcare systems. Heart failure accounts for around 1-2% of the total healthcare budget in developed countries (3).

In Germany alone, the total medical costs attributable to the disease were nearly €3 billion in 2006 (3). In the coming decades, the global rise of ageing populations and detrimental lifestyle changes could more than double the demands on healthcare systems in some countries(4). This represents a burgeoning health and economic crisis which must be addressed.

Awareness of the disease is alarmingly poor among the general public and healthcare professionals alike, resulting in many unnecessary premature deaths. “Although there is no cure, heart failure can be prevented, and most patients can be treated effectively to improve quality of life and survival,” stressed Professor Stefan Anker, President of the HFA. “People need to recognise the symptoms of heart failure to help increase the opportunities for prevention,” added Professor Piotr Ponikowski, Past President of the HFA. “Policy initiatives that prioritise heart failure prevention and champion equity of care for all would ease the strain on global healthcare systems and improve outcomes for patients.”

Heart failure: preventing disease and death worldwide has been developed as part of the Global Heart Failure Awareness Programme initiated by the HFA of the ESC. Written by a distinguished author group led by Professor Piotr Ponikowski (Wrocław, Poland) and including Professor Stefan Anker (Berlin, Germany) and Professor Gerasimos Filippatos (Athens, Greece), its aim is to raise awareness of heart failure across Europe and beyond.

The white paper is a core component of the Global Heart Failure Awareness Programme of the HFA.

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References
(1) Dickstein K et al. Eur J Heart Fail 2008;10:933-89. doi: 10.1016/j.ejheart.2008.08.005
(2) Ambrosy AP et al. J Am Coll Cardiol 2014;63:1123. doi: 10.1016/j.jacc.2013.11.053
(3) Neumann T et al. Dtsch Arztebl Int 2009;106:269. doi: 10.3238/arztebl.2009.0269
(4) Heidenreich PA et al. Circ Heart Fail 2013;6:606. doi: 10.1161/HHF.0b013e318291329a

Notes to editor

Authors: ESC Press Office
Tel: +34 670 521 210 (ESC Spokesperson Coordinator – Tanya Kenny)
Email: .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)

About the European Society of Cardiology
The European Society of Cardiology (ESC) represents more than 80 000 cardiology professionals across Europe and the Mediterranean. Its mission is to reduce the burden of cardiovascular disease in Europe.

About ESC Congress 2014
ESC Congress is currently the world’s largest international congress in cardiovascular medicine. ESC Congress 2014 takes place 30 August to 3 September at the Fira Gran Via congress centre in Barcelona, Spain.

About heart failure
Heart failure is a serious condition in which the heart is unable to pump enough blood to meet the needs of the body. Although often life-threatening, the typical symptoms (breathlessness, swollen limbs and fatigue) are usually less dramatic than those associated with a heart attack.

About the Heart Failure Association (HFA)
The Heart Failure Association (HFA) is a registered branch of the ESC. Its aim is to improve quality of life and longevity, through better prevention, diagnosis and treatment of heart failure, including the establishment of networks for its management, education and research.

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