Fortunately, in recent years, there has been a decrease in the number of people afflicted with many types of heart disease. However, in that same time span, there has been an increase in the number of people diagnosed with heart failure. Currently, there are almost five million Americans who suffer from heart failure, representing about 1.5 percent of the total population. In addition, there are 400,000 to 700,000 new cases of heart failure diagnosed each year. This number is expected to increase over the next few decades.
Heart failure is a disease that is more common in the elderly.
Approximately 10 percent of people over age 75 suffer from heart failure. According to 1991 Medicare data, hospitalization costs for heart failure now exceed those for heart attack and cancer combined. The financial costs pale in comparison to the toll this disease takes on affected individuals. Heart failure patients are greatly impacted by the disease, having to deal with limitations on their breathing, their mobility and their general quality of life. The solution lies in the Heart Failure Treatment Centers.