Heart Failure Gets a New Definition, Experts Say It Will Transform Care
Why this matters: health reporting relevant to everyday decisions and well-being.
A new definition for heart failure emphasizes earlier detection to improve treatment outcomes and survival rates. Halfpoint Images/Getty Images Global health experts have updated the definition and guidelines for heart failure. The experts say the new guidelines were spurred by the rising prevalence of heart failure. The guidelines include a standard definition of heart failure, emphasize early detection, and discuss how heart failure can be effectively managed through appropriate interventions. Health experts in the United States and around the world have updated their guidelines for identifying and classifying heart failure. They say their goal is to improve the prevention, diagnosis, and management of heart failure. The update was sparked by the increase in heart failure prevalence, a condition now affecting more than 64 million adults worldwide. The increase is driven in part by aging populations and the rising rates of conditions that contribute to cardiovascular disease, such as obesity, type 2 diabetes, and high blood pressure. The experts say the new document “details a consistent and comprehensive framework, emphasizing early detection and individualized risk reduction of heart failure.” In June, the “Second Universal Definition of Heart Failure” was published in the American Heart Association (AHA) journal Circulation on June 18. The new definition was also published in the American College of Cardiology (ACC) journal JACC, the European Heart Journal, and the World Heart Federation’s journal Global Heart on June 29. The new guidelines reaffirm and update the First Universal Definition of Heart Failure, issued in April 2021. The updated document will serve as the foundation for the upcoming AHA/ACC Heart Failure Guideline, which is expected to be published in late 2027. “Heart failure remains a major challenge that continues to grow globally, and inconsistencies in how it is defined have limited progress in research and treatment,” Mary Norine Walsh, MD, co