HEART failure rates have soared across Europe, experts warn.
Swedish scientists say the deadly disease affects around 64million people around the world, with many not being diagnosed.
GettyHeart failure occurs when the organ is unable to pump blood around the body properly, usually because it has become too weak or stiff[/caption]
Dr Anna Norhammar, of the Karolinska Institute in Stockholm, said: “The burden, risks and costs in patients highlights an urgent need for improved management.
“It is an area that policy makers need to prioritise when planning healthcare for patients with heart failure.”
Heart failure occurs when the organ is unable to pump blood around the body properly, usually because it has become too weak or stiff.
The condition is often brought on by a set of related problems with the heart, including coronary heart disease, high blood pressure and heart rhythm problems.
It usually develops in older age and gradually gets worse but, while there is no cure, symptoms can be controlled for years with drugs, surgery or a pacemaker.
Signs of the disease include breathlessness, feeling tired, lightheadedness and swollen ankles and legs.
The latest study, published in the medical journal Heart, is the biggest of its kind.
Researchers tracked health records for more than 620,000 people with heart failure in 11 countries from 2018 to 2020.
The countries studied were Sweden, Norway, the UK, Belgium, Germany, Switzerland, Italy, Spain, Portugal, Israel and Canada.
The average age of patients was 75 with 55 per cent were men.
Fewer than 1.5 per cent of Brits suffered the disease — around 900,000 in total.
Britain’s heart failure rate was the smallest proportion of countries studied on the continent and less than half the worst affected country, Portugal.
What are the four symptoms of heart failure you must never ignore?
The most common symptoms of heart failure are:
breathlessness – this may occur after activity or at rest; it may be worse when you’re lying down, and you may wake up at night needing to catch your breath
fatigue – you may feel tired most of the time and find exercise exhausting
swollen ankles and legs – this is caused by a build-up of fluid (oedema); it may be better in the morning and get worse later in the day
feeling lightheaded and fainting
Source: The NHS
Some 42 per cent had ‘preserved left ventricular ejection fraction’, which occurs when the lower left chamber or ventricle isn’t able to fill properly with blood.
This reduces the amount of blood pumped back out into the body.
Half had ischaemic heart disease, 44 percent an irregular heart rhythm and just over a third had diabetes.
Of the 170,000 whose kidney function was measured, half had moderate to severe chronic kidney disease.
Dr Norhammar said: “Risks of annual hospital admission were highest for those with heart failure and chronic kidney disease.
“It was lower for those with other cardiovascular disease, such as heart attack, stroke and peripheral artery disease. The annual death rate was 13 per cent.
“Preventive treatment should primarily focus on stopping further worsening of heart failure and kidney function.”
Hospital care cost most for those with both heart and kidney disease and more than those stemming from coronary artery disease and stroke.