DALLAS, Sept. 29, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- The number of
Americans diagnosed with heart failure, or HF, is expected to
increase by nearly 40 percent over the next 15 years and the costs
associated with managing the life-threatening illness will almost
double, according to a new report from the American Heart
Association released today.
Experience the interactive Multimedia News Release here:
http://www.multivu.com/players/English/7635151-aha-rise-above-heart-failure/
HF, also known as congestive heart failure, is a chronic,
progressive condition in which the heart is unable to pump enough
blood to meet the body's needs. It's one of the most common heart
diseases in the U.S., with more than 870,000 new cases reported
annually and one in nine deaths including HF as a contributing
cause. There are ways to manage and treat the condition, yet about
half of those with HF die within five years of being diagnosed.
According to the association's 2015 "Impact of Heart Failure
Report," by 2030, the number of people diagnosed with HF is
expected to increase from about six million to nearly eight
million. Total medical costs to treat the condition are projected
to increase from $14.3 billion in
2015 to $29.2 billion in 2030.
Additionally, indirect costs of HF, including work loss, household
productivity losses, and premature mortality losses, are projected
to increase from $8.2 billion in 2015
to $12.3 billion in 2030.
"Heart failure is one of the most misunderstood health issues
facing our country today, yet its impact is undeniable," said
Nancy Brown, Chief Executive Officer
of the American Heart Association. "We've made significant progress
in many areas of cardiovascular disease, and now more than ever,
it's important to set this target on heart failure and activate
together to help all Americans rise above this potentially deadly
condition."
In response to this public health issue, the American Heart
Association is launching Rise Above Heart Failure, a
national initiative aimed at changing the course of this disease
through awareness, education and support. The goals for the
initiative are to reduce heart failure hospitalizations by 10% and
increase awareness and understanding of this potentially deadly
condition by 10% by 2020.
Through Rise Above Heart Failure, nationally supported by
Novartis Pharmaceuticals Corporation, the American Heart
Association plans to:
- Increase awareness of heart failure and its symptoms and
treatments,
- Promote a heart failure dialogue and inspire people living with
heart failure and their loved ones to take a more active role in
their care,
- Encourage all people to make small changes that can lead to
healthier lifestyles, and
- Bring together an alliance of influential organizations to
collectively support the goal of reducing the impact of heart
failure.
"By having clear goals, we can implement strategies and programs
that can help change the trajectory of heart failure," said
Clyde W. Yancy, M.D., a past
president of the American Heart Association and Chief of Cardiology
and Magerstadt Professor at Northwestern
University Feinberg School of Medicine in Chicago. "None of us can do this alone, it
will take a commitment of individuals and public and private
organizations working together to rise above the staggering impact
of heart failure."
Yancy is moderating a forum of public health leaders meeting at
the National Press Club in Washington,
D.C. today to present the findings of the "Impact of Heart
Failure Report," and announce the formation of the Rise Above Heart
Failure Alliance. The alliance will include key thought leaders in
healthcare, patient advocacy, industry and government who will come
together to further assess the current burden of HF and develop
strategies to address the issue, such as policy changes, healthcare
system improvements and patient awareness and empowerment
initiatives.
Panelists at the National Press Club event are:
- Janet Wright, M.D., Executive
Director, Million Hearts, Centers for Medicare & Medicaid
Services
- Michele Blair, Chief Executive
Officer, Heart Failure Society of America
- Ryan Olohan, National Industry
Director, Healthcare, Google
Award-winning actress, singer, songwriter, television producer
and talk show host Queen Latifah and
her mother Rita Owens, who suffers
from heart failure, have also joined the movement to share their
story. Queen and Rita want everyone to know that with education,
support and by being proactive with managing the condition, people
can "Rise Above Heart Failure."
Everyone can get involved by visiting www.RiseAboveHF.org
to learn more about heart failure, share their experiences
and access tools and resources, and also:
- Share a "Heartie" – photos of individuals or groups creating
the shape of a heart – on social media, along with the hashtags
#MyChangeofHeart and #RiseAboveHF, and tag five friends to
encourage them to join the movement
- Share a pledge to make a small change in life to get healthier
and rise above HF.
The American Heart Association/American Stroke Association
receives funding mostly from individuals. Foundations and
corporations donate as well, and fund specific programs and events.
Strict policies are enforced to prevent these relationships from
influencing the association's science content. Financial
information for the American Heart Association, including a list of
contributions from pharmaceutical companies and device
manufacturers, is available at www.heart.org/corporatefunding.
For Media Inquiries: (214) 706-1173
Staff contacts: Cathy Lewis (214)
706-1324; cathy.lewis@heart.org
Julie Del Barto (broadcast): (214)
706-1330; julie.delbarto@heart.org
For Public Inquiries: (800)-AHA-USA1 (242-8721)
heart.org and strokeassociation.org
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SOURCE American Heart Association