title: Acute heart failure: Epidemiology, risk factors, and prevention.
abstract: Acute heart failure represents the first cause of hospitalization in elderly persons and is the main determinant of the huge healthcare expenditure related to heart failure. Despite therapeutic advances, the prognosis of acute heart failure is poor, with in-hospital mortality ranging from 4% to 7%, 60- to 90-day mortality ranging from 7% to 11%, and 60- to 90-day rehospitalization from 25% to 30%. Several factors including cardiovascular and noncardiovascular conditions as well as patient-related and iatrogenic factors may precipitate the rapid development or deterioration of signs and symptoms of heart failure, thus leading to an acute heart failure episode that usually requires patient hospitalization. The primary prevention of acute heart failure mainly concerns the prevention, early diagnosis, and treatment of cardiovascular risk factors and heart disease, including coronary artery disease, while the secondary prevention of a new episode of decompensation requires the optimization of heart failure therapy, patient education, and the development of an effective transition and follow-up plan.
authors: Heart Failure Unit, Department of Cardiology, Attikon University Hospital, Athens, Greece.
authors: Dimitrios
authors: D
authors: Farmakis
authors: Heart Failure Unit, Department of Cardiology, Attikon University Hospital, Athens, Greece.
authors: John
authors: J
authors: Parissis
authors: Heart Failure Unit, Department of Cardiology, Attikon University Hospital, Athens, Greece.
authors: John
authors: J
authors: Lekakis
authors: Heart Failure Unit, Department of Cardiology, Attikon University Hospital, Athens, Greece. Electronic address: geros@otenet.gr.
authors: Gerasimos
authors: G
authors: Filippatos
mesh_terms: D000208:Acute Disease; D019468:Disease Management; D014943:Global Health; D006333:Heart Failure / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000517:prevention & control*; D006801:Humans; D009017:Morbidity / Q000639:trends; D011379:Prognosis; D018570:Risk Assessment; D012307:Risk Factors; D015996:Survival Rate / Q000639:trends
keywords: Acute heart failure; Epidemiology; Epidemiología; Factores de riesgo; Insuficiencia cardiaca aguda; Prevención; Prevention; Risk factors