Clinical Corner:

New Guidelines For The Management Of Heart Failure

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Heart failure, or HF, is a prevalent chronic condition affecting over 6.2 million adults in the United States. In fact, 13.4% (379,800) of American death certificates mentioned heart failure in 2018. 

 

Heart failure becomes more common with age, and mortality rates increase as well, resulting in the five-year mortality rate of older adults diagnosed with heart failure reaching nearly 50%. 

 

In addition, patients discharged from the hospital after receiving heart failure treatment have a 30% mortality rate within the first year. There is a high recurrence rate, and 25% of patients are readmitted to the hospital within thirty days of being discharged. The readmission rate at six months post-discharge is at 50%.

 

Heart failure is also costly and is estimated to balloon to $69.7 billion by 2030 – an increase of 127%. Fortunately, there have been recent breakthroughs in heart failure treatment, thanks to effective Quadruple Therapy.

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Classification By EF (Ejection Fraction)

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• HF with reduced EF (HFrEF) = HF with LVEF <40%

• HF with mild reduced EF (HFmrEF) = HF with LVEF 41-49%

• HF with preserved EF (HFpEF) = HF with LVEF >50%

• HF with improved EF (HFimpEF) HF with a baseline LVEF of < 40%, a 10-point increase from baseline LVEF at a second measurement

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Quadruple Therapy, according to Guideline Directed Medical Therapy (GDMT) to Reduce Morbidity and CV Mortality, consists of prescribing four medication classes together for treating heart failure. 

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2022 HF Guideline Directed Medical Therapy (GDMT) To Reduce Morbidity and CV Mortality

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