Mortality From Congestive Heart Failure— United States, 1980-1990

In the United States, congestive heart failure (CHF) was the underlying cause of death for approximately 38,000 persons in 1990; of those deaths, approximately 92% were among persons aged > or = 65 years. CHF, a clinical syndrome defined as a chronic inadequate contraction of the heart muscle resulting in insufficient cardiac output, is a manifestation of one or more underlying conditions, including systemic or pulmonary hypertension or a history of other heart diseases (e.g., myocardial infarction, atherosclerosis, cardiomyopathy, congenital heart disease, or rheumatic fever). The long-term prognosis of CHF depends on the underlying condition and the response of that condition to treatment. Despite declines in death rates for ischemic heart disease and cerebrovascular disease, improvements in detection and treatment of hypertension, and considerable advances in the diagnosis and management of CHF, mortality from CHF has increased since 1980. This report summarizes trends in CHF mortality in the United States during 1980-1990 and presents state-specific mortality data for 1990 (the most recent year for which such data are available).