Heart Failure

Heart failure is a progressive and potentially fatal condition that is affecting over 60 million people worldwide and expected to increase as the population ages. Heart failure refers to the inability of the heart to pump sufficient blood through the body. Patients with chronic heart failure can present with either reduced (HFrEF) or preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF). HFrEF happens when the heart muscle does not contract effectively, and less blood is pumped out to the body often related to previous cardiac events, coronary artery disease and structural damage to the heart. HFpEF occurs when the heart muscle contracts normally but the left ventricle does not fill with enough blood, often due to stiffening of the heart muscle. Both, HFrEF and HFpEF, are related to co-morbidities like hypertension, coronary artery disease, obesity and type-2-diabetes. Heart failure is the leading cause of hospitalization in the US and Europe, and the number of patients across Asia is also increasing. The risk of death in people with heart failure rises with each hospital admission.