Heart Failure

What is Heart Failure?

If you have been diagnosed with heart failure (HF) it means your heart is not pumping enough blood to meet the body’s needs.1 Heart failure is a common condition. It currently affects 7 million people in the United States and more than 10 million people in the European Union.2,3

When heart failure occurs fluid starts to build up in the heart. This increases pressure in the upper chamber of the heart - or left atrium. If not treated fluid can then build up in the lungs -making it hard to breathe and can eventually lead to hospital visits.

Common Sypmtoms for Patients with Heart Failure

  • Shortness of breath during activity or even at rest

  • Shortness of breath when lying flat (may need extra pillows)

  • Feeling very tired (fatigue)

  • Rapid weight gain (from fluid buildup)

  • Swelling in the legs or feet

Heart Failure with Reduced Ejection Fraction (HFrEF):

Heart Failure with reduced Ejection Fraction (HFrEF) is one of two main types of heart failure. About half of all heart failure patients have HFrEF.5 Patients with HFrEF may have been told their heart's pumping function is reduced – or described as pumping strength (or ejection fraction) of 40% or less.

Treatments for HFrEF

Medication is the cornerstone of treatment for HFrEF6. Patients are often prescribed multiple medical therapies depending on their symptoms and ability to tolerate the medications. Beyond medication other treatments may include lifestyle changes and medical devices such as implantable pacemakers or defibrillators. Even when taking these conventional treatments, some patients may still experience symptoms, and hospitalizations due to heart failure.4

References

  1. American Heart Association: https://www.heart.org/en/health-topics/heart-failure/what-is-heart-failure

  2. Bozkurt B, Ahmad T, Alexander KM, et al.; Writing Committee Members. HF Stats 2024: Heart Failure Epidemiology and Outcomes Statistics. J Card Fail. 2024;29):1-51. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cardfail.2024.07.001)

  3. EHN. Heart Failure and Cardiovascular Diseases. European Heart Network; 2019. Accessed July 4, 2025. https:// ehnheart.org/activities/publications/patients/heart-failure-and-cardiovascular-diseases/

  4. Shah KS, Xu H, Matsouaka RA et al. Heart Failure With Preserved, Borderline, and Reduced Ejection Fraction: 5- Year Outcomes. J Am Coll Cardiol. 2017 Nov 14;70(20):2476-2486. doi: 10.1016/j.jacc.2017.08.074. Epub 2017 Nov 12. PMID: 29141781.

  5. Murphy SP, Ibrahim NE, Januzzi JL, Jr. Heart Failure With Reduced Ejection Fraction: A Review. JAMA. Aug 4 2020;324(5):488-504. doi:10.1001/jama.2020.10262

  6. McDonagh et. al. “2021 ESC Guidelines for the diagnosis and treatment of acute and chronic heart failure” European Heart Journal (2021) 42, 3599_3726. doi:10.1093/eurheartj/ehab368

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