ABSTRACT
EPIDEMIOLOGY AND RISK FACTORS Heart failure (HF) is predominantly a geriatric syndrome. Geriatric syndromes are a heterogeneous group of disorders, but they share many common features that include multiple etiologies and pathogenetic pathways, a high prevalence in older adults and a substantial adverse impact on quality of life, morbidity, and mortality (Table 20.1) (1). The American Heart Association estimates that based on the findings from the 2005-2008 National Health and Nutrition Examination Surveys (NHANES), approximately 5.7 million or 2.4% of Americans 20 years of age or older have HF and the prevalence increases dramatically with age (2). It has been projected that the prevalence of HF would reach approximately 9 million by 2030. Findings from the Cardiovascular Health Study (CHS) suggest that among community-dwelling Medicare-eligible adults, 65 years of age or older, the prevalence of centrally adjudicated HF was approximately 8.8%, which increases to as high as 14-18% among those 85 years or older (3).
