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Heart Failure Fact Sheet

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Heart Failure Death Rates among Adults Aged 65 Years and Older, by State, 2006. Age-Adjusted Rate per 100,000: 41.6–94.0: District of Columbia, Arizona, Florida, Hawaii, Iowa, Maryland, New York, North Dakota, Rhode Island, South Dakota, Tennessee, Vermont, and Washington. 95.7–153.8: Alaska, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Idaho, Maine, New Hampshire, New Jersey, North Carolina, Ohio, Oregon, and South Carolina. 153.9–191.0: Arkansas, Illinois, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, Nevada, New Mexico, Pennsylvania, Texas, Virginia, and Wisconsin. 208.6–344.3: Alabama, Georgia, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Montana, Oklahoma, Utah, West Virginia, and Wyoming. Age-adjusted to the 2000 U.S. standard population. Deaths defined according to International Classification of Diseases (ICD-10) code I50. Source: CDC, National Vital Statistics System.

Source: CDC Chronic Disease Indicators.

Heart Failure Facts

Heart failure occurs when the heart cannot pump enough blood and oxygen to support other organs. Heart failure is a serious condition, but it does not mean that the heart has stopped beating.
Around 5.8 million people in the United States have heart failure. About 670,000 people are diagnosed with it each year.¹
About one in five people who have heart failure die within one year from diagnosis.¹
Heart failure was a contributing cause of 282,754 deaths in 2006.¹
In 2010, heart failure will cost the United States $39.2 billion.¹ This total includes the cost of health care services, medications, and lost productivity.
The most common causes of heart failure are coronary artery disease, high blood pressure, and diabetes.
Early diagnosis and treatment can improve quality of life and life expectancy for people who have heart failure. Treatment usually involves taking medicines, reducing salt in the diet, and getting daily physical activity. People with heart failure also track their daily symptoms and discuss them with their doctors.

Symptoms

Common symptoms of heart failure include—

Shortness of breath during daily activities.
Having trouble breathing when lying down.
Weight gain with swelling in the legs, ankles, or lower back.
General fatigue and weakness.

CDC's Public Health Efforts

CDC’s Heart Disease and Stroke Prevention Program
Since 1998, CDC has funded state health departments’ efforts to reduce the number of people with heart disease or stroke. Health departments in 41 states and the District of Columbia currently receive funding. The program stresses policy and education to promote heart-healthy and stroke-free living and working conditions.