Who is affected by heart failure
Over 350,000 Canadians are affected by heart failure. It affects men more often than women, and it occurs more often among older adults, especially those older than age 55.1, 2
Data from the Framingham Heart Study indicates that from 1950 to 1999 the incidence of heart failure has declined among women and remained level among men. However, as the "baby boomer" population ages, it is expected that the incidence in both men and women will once again increase. Survival after the onset of heart failure has improved for both sexes.3
Heart failure eventually occurs in almost all people with severe heart disease. When and how it appears depends on the type of underlying heart disease present.
In the past, a person with heart disease would die at an earlier age, long before heart failure might develop. Today, better medical care and treatments mean that heart disease is being identified and treated earlier, extending the lives of millions of people. However, those same people with heart disease who now live longer have increased chances of developing heart failure.
| Author: | Douglas Dana Robin Parks, MS | Last Updated: October 23, 2006 |
| Medical Review: | Adam Husney, MD - Family Medicine Caroline S. Rhoads, MD - Internal Medicine Stephen Fort, MD, MRCP, FRCPC - Interventional Cardiology | |
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