Hospitalizations for Heart Failure are Increasing

By Richard Shank

Researchers at the U.S. Centers for Disease Control (CDC) report that the number of hospitalizations due to heart failure have almost tripled in the past two decades, and do not foresee this trend slowing down. Major reasons for this increase have to do with population growth and the aging of the American population.

Heart failure is a progressive disease where the heart loses its ability to pump blood. Damage to the heart weakens the cardiovascular system and manifests itself in fluid congestion or inadequate blood flow to tissues. It develops because of a preexisting heart injury or because of inappropriate response by the body to heart impairment. It has to be managed not only for the state of the heart, but also for the condition of circulation, lungs, neuro-endocrine system, and other organs as well.

Researchers at the CDC utilized data from the National Hospital Discharge study (collected from 1974 to 2004) in order to ascertain the treatment prevalence of heart failure. They discovered that in 1974, about 1.25 million admissions for heart failure had occurred while in 2004, the number of admissions had reached over 3.8 million. Over this period, hospitalizations that resulted in transfers to long-term care residences increased while in-hospital stays and average length-of-stays declined.

Other findings showed that 65% to 70% of hospital admissions stemmed from patients who had a diagnosis of heart failure along with some other condition. Also, nearly 80% of heart failure admissions occurring in adults at least 65 years of age were paid by Medicare or Medicaid.

These findings suggest that hospitals are successful in treating heart failure patients. Advanced therapeutic interventions have kept pace with the increased aging population to the point where the death rate was reduced in favor of more and more people being moved into long-term care. However, it is expected that, because of this increased survival rate and the long-term increase in hospitalizations, the economic burden associated with Medicare will continue to increase in the future.

Source: Jim Fang, George A Mensah, Janet B. Croft, and Nora L. Keenan. 2008. Heart-failure related hospitalizations in the U.S., 1979 to 2004. Journal of the American College of Cardiology 52(6): 428-434.

Like the new format? Tell us what you think: askaia@matherlifeways.com