Congestive Heart Failure Essay

Heart failure is a syndrome with symptoms and signs caused by cardiac dysfunction, resulting in reduced longevity. Congestive heart failure has become an increasingly frequent reason for hospital admission during the last 2 decades and clearly represents a major health problem (Mosterd, A., & Hoes, A., 2007). Congestive heart failure represents a major health problem. It has been estimated that congestive heart failure afflicts nearly 4 million Americans, with 400,000 new cases each year. Congestive heart failure was listed as the principal cause for 37,400 deaths in 1988 and is thought to have been a contributing cause of another 200, 000 deaths. Heart failure generally is a chronic condition in which bouts of worsening symptoms and signs …show more content…
Although the Framingham cohort is primarily white, the importance of the major CVD risk factors identified in this group have been shown in other studies to apply almost universally among racial and ethnic groups, even though the patterns of distribution may vary from group to group. In the past half century, the study has produced approximately 1,200 articles in leading medical journals. The concept of CVD risk factors has become an integral part of the modern medical curriculum and has led to the development of effective treatment and preventive strategies in clinical practice. Data from the Framingham Heart Study indicate that congestive heart failure is more commons in older persons and affects approximately 2.5% of the population aged 245 years. Hypertension preceded the onset of heart failure in 70%of men and 78% of women and was associated with a two- to four-fold increase in the incidence of heart failure. Coronary heart disease was present in 59% of men and 48% of