How common is congestive heart failure?
According to the American Heart Association, heart failure affects about 5 million Americans, with more than half a million new cases diagnosed every year. Interestingly, while the incidence of other cardiac diseases remains stable or varies only slightly, the incidence of heart failure has increased significantly over the last three decades. This is because of the aging population and doctors’ increased ability to treat other cardiac diseases. In the 1970s, high blood pressure was the leading cause of heart failure. Today, because of the increased survival due to treatments such as bypass surgery and balloon angioplasty, coronary artery disease is the leading cause of the condition. How dangerous is congestive heart failure? It is a very serious condition. According to statistics from the American Heart Association, there are about 5 million heart failure patients in the United States, and 550,000 new cases of heart failure are diagnosed in the United States every year. This includes
