Personal Injury Law

Surge Shown In Heart Failure Hospitalizations

By Jane Akre

During the last nearly three decades, the number of people over the age of 65 who are hospitalized with heart failure more than doubled, representing a mounting burden on the health care system.

Releasing findings at an American Heart Association meeting in New Orleans, Dr. Longjian Liu of Drexel University in Philadelphia urged preventive measures are needed immediately. The cost of this chronic and deadly condition is estimated to be $34.8 billion for the U.S. alone in direct and indirect costs.

Heart failure occurs when the heart gradually loses the ability to pump blood efficiently. Organs, starved for oxygen, gradually die.

Lifestyle factors can affect heart failure including smoking, a lack of exercise and a diet of fatty foods.  A stroke, heart attack, diabetes and high blood pressure also are risk factors. As diabetes and obesity have increased, so has heart failure, the researchers observe.

An estimated 5.3 million Americans have heart failure which Dr. Liu said disproportionately affects the elderly.

Looking at national hospital discharge data of 2.2 million patients between 1980 and 2006, he found the heart failure rate increased 131 percent.  There were 807,082 hospitalizations for heart failure in 2006 up from more than 348,000.

The increase in hospitalizations has been more dramatic among women than men.  And hospitalizations for heart failure are longer and can involve other organ failures which increase the burden on cost.   

At the same time, hospitalization rates from coronary artery disease and stroke have fallen.

Prevention is crucial, researchers conclude.

Drug therapy includes ACE inhibitors or angiotensin receptor inhibitors. They dilate the arteries and veins allowing for a more easy transfer of pumped blood.  Beta blockers slow the heart rate and control blood pressure and diuretics reduce swelling.  

In addition, a pacemaker is sometimes used to keep both chambers of the heart pumping in sync.  

More than five million Americans are living with heart failure and more than 500,000 cases are diagnosed each year.  #

Full post as published by InjuryBoard on November 10, 2008 (boomark / email).