Incidence and Prevalence of Heart Failure in Elderly Persons, 1994-2003

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Abstract
The impact of heart failure on public health is substantial. Heart failure affects nearly 5 million people in the United States, and more than 300 000 die each year as a result of the disease.1 Heart failure is primarily a disease of elderly persons and, consequently, places a significant and growing economic burden on the Medicare program. From 1984 to 2002, hospitalizations for heart failure among people 65 years or older increased by more than 30%.2