February 8, 2017Circulation289 citationsOpen Access
Age-Specific Trends in Incidence, Mortality, and Comorbidities of Heart Failure in Denmark, 1995 to 2012
Key Result
The incidence of heart failure declined among older individuals but increased by 1.52 times among those ≤50 years from 1995 to 2012 (P < 0.0001).
Structured PICO
P
Population
210,430 Danish individuals >18 years of age with a first-time in-hospital diagnosis of heart failure between 1995 and 2012.
O
Outcome
Age-specific trends in the annual incidence rates of heart failure and 1-year standardized mortality rateshard clinical
While the incidence of heart failure is declining in older adults, it has increased by approximately 50% in younger adults (≤50 years) alongside a rising prevalence of comorbidities, portending a future increase in the overall heart failure burden.
Limitations
- Lack of a comprehensive screening program for risk factors and heart failure in the population
- Inability to obtain data on specific risk factors such as anabolic steroids and illicit drug abuse
- Lack of measures of left ventricular function (e.g., ejection fraction)
- ICD codes for obesity likely underestimated the true prevalence
Abstract
Background: The cumulative burden and importance of cardiovascular risk factors have changed over the past decades. Specifically, obesity rates have increased among younger people, whereas cardiovascular health has improved in the elderly. Little is known regarding how these changes have impacted the incidence and the mortality rates of heart failure. Therefore, we aimed to investigate the age-specific trends in the incidence and 1-year mortality rates following a first-time diagnosis of heart failure in Denmark between 1995 and 2012. Methods: We included all Danish individuals >18 years of age with a first-time in-hospital diagnosis of heart failure. Data were collected from 3 nationwide Danish registries. Annual incidence rates of heart failure and 1-year standardized mortality rates were calculated under the assumption of a Poisson distribution. Results: We identified 210 430 individuals with a first-time diagnosis of heart failure between 1995 and 2012; the annual incidence rates per 10 000 person-years declined among older individuals (rates in 1995 versus 2012: 164 versus 115 in individuals >74 years, 63 versus 35 in individuals 65–74 years, and 20 versus 17 in individuals 55–64 years; P 50 years of age, and 1.52 (95% confidence interval, 1.33–1.73; P 50 years), but increased among younger (≤50 years) individuals. These observations may portend a rising burden of heart failure in the community.
Cite This Study
Christiansen et al. (2017) studied this question. The incidence of heart failure declined among older individuals but increased by 1.52 times among those ≤50 years from 1995 to 2012 (P < 0.0001).