<p class="first" id="d1745420e277">Heart failure is a life-threatening disease and
addressing it should be considered
a global health priority. At present, approximately 26 million people worldwide are
living with heart failure. The outlook for such patients is poor, with survival rates
worse than those for bowel, breast or prostate cancer. Furthermore, heart failure
places great stresses on patients, caregivers and healthcare systems. Demands on healthcare
services, in particular, are predicted to increase dramatically over the next decade
as patient numbers rise owing to ageing populations, detrimental lifestyle changes
and improved survival of those who go on to develop heart failure as the final stage
of another disease. It is time to ease the strain on healthcare systems through clear
policy initiatives that prioritize heart failure prevention and champion equity of
care for all. Despite the burdens that heart failure imposes on society, awareness
of the disease is poor. As a result, many premature deaths occur. This is in spite
of the fact that most types of heart failure are preventable and that a healthy lifestyle
can reduce risk. Even after heart failure has developed, premature deaths could be
prevented if people were taught to recognize the symptoms and seek immediate medical
attention. Public awareness campaigns focusing on these messages have great potential
to improve outcomes for patients with heart failure and ultimately to save lives.
Compliance with clinical practice guidelines is also associated with improved outcomes
for patients with heart failure. However, in many countries, there is considerable
variation in how closely physicians follow guideline recommendations. To promote equity
of care, improvements should be encouraged through the use of hospital performance
measures and incentives appropriate to the locality. To this end, policies should
promote the research required to establish an evidence base for performance measures
that reflect improved outcomes for patients. Continuing research is essential if we
are to address unmet needs in caring for patients with heart failure. New therapies
are required for patients with types of heart failure for which current treatments
relieve symptoms but do not address the disease. More affordable therapies are desperately
needed in the economically developing world. International collaborative research
focusing on the causes and treatment of heart failure worldwide has the potential
to benefit tens of millions of people. Change at the policy level has the power to
drive improvements in prevention and care that will save lives. It is time to make
a difference across the globe by confronting the problem of heart failure.
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