Heart failure is the pathophysiologic state in which the heart, via an abnormality of cardiac function (detectable or not), fails to pump blood at a rate commensurate with the requirements of the metabolizing tissues or is able to do so only with an elevated diastolic filling pressure. In general, the mortality rate following hospitalization for patients with heart failure is 10.4% at 30 days, 22% at 1 year, and 42.3% at 5 years, despite marked improvement in medical and device therapy.
Heart failure is a worldwide problem. The most common cause of heart failure in industrialized countries is ischemic cardiomyopathy, with other causes, including Chagas disease and valvular cardiomyopathy, assuming a more important role in developing countries. However, in developing nations that have become more urbanized and more affluent, eating a more processed diet and leading a more sedentary lifestyle have resulted in an increased rate of heart failure, along with increased rates of diabetes and hypertension. According to 2017 American Heart Association (AHA) data, heart failure affects an estimated 6.5 million Americans aged 20 years and older.
How much do you know about important aspects of presentation, diagnosis, and treatment? Test yourself with this quick quiz.
Medscape © 2018 WebMD, LLC
Any views expressed above are the author's own and do not necessarily reflect the views of WebMD or Medscape.
Cite this: Yasmine S. Ali. Fast Five Quiz: Test Your Knowledge on Key Aspects of Heart Failure - Medscape - Mar 21, 2018.
Comments