Altogether there are about 4.8 million patients with heart failure in the United States. This common disorder is the most common discharge diagnosis from the hospital in the Medicare population. Furthermore it is increasing in frequency, probably due to the overall aging of the population. Patients with mild heart failure live much longer than patients with severe heart failure. Overall, once the diagnosis of heart failure has been made, about half or more of patients will die in five years.
Women live a little longer than men following the diagnosis of heart failure.
In patients with severe heart failure, who are in and out of the hospital, about half will die in one year. The most common cause of heart failure in the United States is coronary artery disease and heart attacks. A heart attack is caused by occlusion of a coronary artery with subsequent damage to the heart muscle supplied by that artery. With continued damage to the heart, its pumping abilities are reduced and heart failure ensues. Another common cause is high blood pressure.