Rise in hospitalization of the elderly for heart failure

United states, November 9
Heart failure is reaching epidemic levels among seniors in the US, according to researchers at the American Heart Association’s annual scientific session in New Orleans 2008.

Dr Longjian Liu, assistant professor of epidemiology and biostatistics of Drexel University School of Public Health in Philadelphia said “The prevention of treatment of heart failure has become an urgent public health need with national implications.”

In the last three decades hospitalization of old Americans suffering from heart ailment has mounted considerably.

A chronic disease, heart failure occurs when the heart is unable to supply the body cells with enough oxygen and nutrient rich blood. An estimated 5.3 million Americans live with heart failure, with nearly 660, 000 new cases diagnosed each year.

The data from Dr Liu study in the National Hospital Discharge Survey 1980- 2006 shows that more than 2.2 million patients (aged 65 and above) have been hospitalized for heart failure since 1980.

The study analyzing heart failure rates over the past three decades showed the hospitalization rate spurt to 131%.Women hospitalized for heart failure increased to 55% annually as compared to 20% of men. The risk of being hospitalized for heart failure was 37% higher in 2002-06 than 1980-84. Patients aged between 75-84had double the chances of going to a hospital for a heart failure than those aged 65-74 years. Those above 84 were at four times more risk of being hospitalized than those 10 years younger.

Dr John Erwin III, an associate professor of internal medicine at Texas A&M Health Science Center College of Medicine said “By far heart failure is the leading diagnosis code when patients are admitted to the hospitals especially in those over 65.”

Older patients need longer duration and extra care because of added ailments like anemia and renal failure. Dr Erwin felt “This is going to put a huge burden on the health care system. It already is.”

Dr Liu pondered “Over the next decade the number of US adults aged 65 and older will double to a projected 70 million and more then one in five will be 65 or older by the year 2030. Because heart failure disproportionately affects the elderly, there is no doubt that burden of heart failure will increase unless innovative strategies are implemented. The key is to prevent risk factors of the disease.”

The risk factors that come as excess baggage with the senior citizens is problems like blood pressure, obesity, stroke and diabetes. Life style factors, like smoking, physical inactivity and consumption of fatty foods are added problems. Chronic kidney disease and pneumonia also contribute to heart failure.

The situation is grave and on the verge of worsening. Dr Erwin concluded “Several organizations are working to develop disease management strategies, very basic thing we can do for heart failure, that if we adhere to them, the likelihood that a patient will be readmitted due to exacerbation is very much lower. Those are going to be the key, and the national efforts to get diabetes blood pressure and obesity under control are going to be the key.”