Prognosis of Congestive Heart Failure

Prognosis of Congestive Heart Failure: Poor. 5-year survival around 50%. About 20% survive longer than 8-12 years.

Prognosis for Congestive Heart Failure: Results of a new study published in the March 7 issue of Archives of Internal Medicine suggest that heart failure survival after 6 years in adults 67 years and older on Medicare is very low and may be worse than the prognosis for most types of cancer. (Source: excerpt from Facts About Heart Failure in Older Adults: CDC-OC)

5-year survival rate for Congestive Heart Failure: Half of the patients diagnosed with CHF will be dead within 5 years. (Source: excerpt from NHLBI, Congestive Heart Failure Data Fact Sheet: NHLBI)

Deaths from Congestive Heart Failure: 50,824 deaths (NHLBI 1999); about 260,000 deaths a year (CDC-OC)

Estimated mortality rate for Congestive Heart Failure from prevalence and deaths statistics:

• Deaths: 50,824 (USA annual deaths calculated from this data: 50,824 deaths (NHLBI 1999); about 260,000 deaths a year (CDC-OC))
• Incidence: 4,800,000 (USA prevalence calculated from this data: 4.8 million Americans (NHLBI); 2% age 40-59; 5% age 60-69; 10% over 70's
• 1.1% (ratio of deaths to prevalence).

Estimated mortality rate for Congestive Heart Failure from incidence and deaths statistics:

• Deaths: 50,824 (USA annual deaths calculated from this data: 50,824 deaths (NHLBI 1999); about 260,000 deaths a year (CDC-OC))
• Incidence: 400,000 (USA annual incidence calculated from this data: 400,000 new cases annually
• 12.7% (ratio of deaths to incidence).

Complications: see complications of Congestive Heart Failure

Prognosis of Congestive Heart Failure discussion:

Facts About Heart Failure in Older Adults: CDC-OC (Excerpt)

In a review of Medicare records from 1986 through 1992, less than 25% of women and 20% of men survived 6 years after being discharged from hospital with congestive heart failure. One third died within a year.

Survival was better among persons who also had a diagnosis of either high blood pressure or coronary heart disease during the same hospital stay. More contact with health care providers and better use of effective medications during earlier treatment may have reduced their severity of disease and improved their chances for survival. (Source: excerpt from Facts About Heart Failure in Older Adults: CDC-OC)

NHLBI, Congestive Heart Failure Data Fact Sheet: NHLBI (Excerpt)

Survival following diagnosis of congestive heart failure is worse in men than women, but even in women, only about 20 percent survive much longer than 8 to 12 years. The outlook is not much better than for most forms of cancer. The fatality rate for CHF is high, with one in five persons dying within 1 year. Sudden death is common in these patients, occurring at a rate of six to nine times that of the general population. Thus, CHF remains a highly lethal condition. With the use of angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors as a possible exception, advances in the treatment of hypertension, myocardial ischemia, and valvular heart disease have not resulted in substantial improvements in survival once CHF ensues. (Source: excerpt from NHLBI, Congestive Heart Failure Data Fact Sheet: NHLBI)

Research More About Congestive Heart Failure

• Introduction: Congestive Heart Failure
• Deaths: Congestive Heart Failure
• Symptoms: Congestive Heart Failure
• Complications: Congestive Heart Failure
• Causes: Congestive Heart Failure
• Treatments: Congestive Heart Failure

About prognosis:

The 'prognosis' of Congestive Heart Failure usually refers to the likely outcome of Congestive Heart Failure. The prognosis of Congestive Heart Failure may include the duration of Congestive Heart Failure, chances of complications of Congestive Heart Failure, probable outcomes, prospects for recovery, recovery period for Congestive Heart Failure, survival rates, death rates, and other outcome possibilities in the overall prognosis of Congestive Heart Failure. Naturally, such forecast issues are by their nature unpredictable.