Heart Failure (HF) occurs when the heart loses the ability to pump sufficient blood to supply the metabolic needs of the body’s tissues and organs. It is a cardiorenal syndrome – as the heart and kidneys work interdependently to maintain hemodynamic stability and organ perfusion, acute or chronic dysfunction in one organ may in turn induce acute or chronic dysfunction of the other.

Acute Heart Failure (AHF) is defined as the rapid onset of, or change in, HF signs and symptoms such as difficulty in breathing (dyspnea) and swelling in the limbs (peripheral edema) due to fluid retention.

AHF is a medical emergency, which requires urgent hospitalization for treatment.

Aging of the population and prolongation of the lives of cardiac patients by modern therapeutic innovations have also led to an increased incidence and prevalence of HF and AHF. This in turn has resulted in an increased burden both on HF sufferers, and on the healthcare systems which support them.

Twenty million people live with heart failure in the United States and Europe. Heart failure can severely impact on the quality of life of sufferers, and impose significant cost burdens on the healthcare systems that support them. Individuals who progress suddenly from chronic heart failure (CHF) to acute heart failure (AHF) require immediate care, and are repeatedly seen in hospital emergency facilities.

There are more than 870,000 newly diagnosed cases each year in the U.S. or 100/hour 24/7. Every minute …

… or after just 70 beats approximately 2 people will have been admitted to the hospital in the U.S. with newly diagnosed heart failure …

The American Heart Association (AHA) reports AHF hospital treatment costs at over $20 billion per year, making it one of the most expensive diseases for Medicare to manage. Less than 1/6 of Medicare patients are diagnosed with HF but HF comprises almost ½ of Medicare's expenditures. The total cost of heart failure in the U.S. (medical, lost productivity, in-home care) surpassed $39 billion in 2009. The AHA projects the prevalence of HF to increase by 25% in 2030; with a corresponding increase in the associated costs up to $95 billion in 2030.


80% AHF PATIENTS WITH DYSPNEA

80%-60% PATIENTS WITH RENAL IMPAIRMENT

4% AHF PATIENT MORTALITY IN HOSPITAL

20 MILLION LIVING WITH HF IN EU & USA