ABSTRACT
Diastolic heart failure: magnitude of problem Heart failure is a major public health problem. It is estimated that there are nearly 23 million people with heart failure worldwide.1 National estimates for the United States suggest that heart failure afflicts 1.5-2% of the total population and as much as 6-10% of the elderly.2 Heart failure is a major burden to patients, healthcare providers and society.2-4 With the tripling of hospitalizations for heart failure, hospital, nursing home and medical follow-up expenditures for this condition have escalated to 15-40 billion dollars in the US.2,4 Estimates from European countries also suggest that heart failure consumes 1-2% of the health care budget.5
