The HF Stats 2024: Heart Failure Epidemiology and Outcomes Statistics, published in the Journal of Cardiac Failure on September 24, 2024, highlights several key findings, revealing an evolving crisis that could impact millions of Americans over the coming decades.

Concerning findings in the HF Stats 2024: Heart Failure Epidemiology and Outcomes Statistics include:

• Greater Impact on Younger Patients: The proportion of younger patients (aged 35-64) with heart failure has increased, showing a higher annual rise in mortality compared to older adults. This trend suggests that heart failure is no longer just a disease of aging but one that is increasingly affecting younger populations.
• Mortality Surge in 2021: While the 2023 report noted an upward trend in HF-related deaths since 2012, the 2024 report reveals a significant acceleration in 2020-2021, when 425,147 deaths were linked to HF, accounting for 45% of cardiovascular deaths.
• Racial Disparities Worsening: As in previous years, Black, American Indian, and Alaska Native individuals continue to have the highest all-cause age-adjusted HF mortality rates. The mortality rate for Black individuals has risen faster than any other racial or ethnic group, particularly in those under 65. The overall prevalence of heart failure has also increased among Black and Hispanic populations.
• Impact of Comorbidities: Obesity and hypertension remain critical risk factors for heart failure, but the 2024 report emphasizes the rising threat of clusters of comorbidities—multiple health conditions that are compounding the risk of HF.
• COVID-19 Impact: For the first time, this year’s report noted that HF hospitalization rates were temporarily reduced between 2020-2022 due to the pandemic. However, long-term trends still show a steady increase in hospitalizations across all age groups and racial categories, with Black patients disproportionately affected.

It also identifies challenges with implementation and reporting. Despite established guidelines emphasizing the timely initiation of guideline directed medical therapies (GMDT), the data indicates that implementation is falling short, which may be fueling the increase in both mortality and hospitalization rates for HF, particularly among at-risk populations. Inconsistent coding practices that fail to recognize HF as a primary underlying cause of death may lead to under-detection and under-reporting of HF deaths, suggesting that the actual burden of HF may be higher than current data shows.

How can heart failure providers and organizations like HFSA work to reverse these trends, improve structural barriers, and ensure that GDMT is more widely implemented? Join the conversation on X by following and using #HFStats and weigh in. 

Learn more about the report and supplemental resources.