AHA launches Rise Above Heart Failure initiative

In light of the growing public health threat posed by HF, the American Heart Association has launched Rise Above Heart Failure, a national effort designed to decrease HF-related hospitalizations by 10% and increase public awareness of HF by 10% by 2020, according to a press release.

“Heart failure is one of the most misunderstood health issues facing our country today, yet its impact is undeniable,” Nancy Brown, chief executive officer of the AHA, said in the release. “We’ve made significant progress in many areas of cardiovascular disease, and now more than ever, it’s important to set this target on heart failure and activate together to help all Americans rise above this potentially deadly condition."

The initiative was launched in conjunction with the release of the AHA’s 2015 “Impact of Heart Failure Report,” which projects that by 2030, the number of people diagnosed with HF will increase from roughly 6 million to almost 8 million.

Currently, more than 870,000 new cases of HF are reported each year in the United States, making it one of the most common heart diseases in the country. One in nine deaths include HF as a contributing factor. While HF is a chronic progressive condition that can be managed and treated, misconceptions about the disease are common, and approximately half of HF patients die within 5 years of diagnosis.

In addition to the public health burden associated with HF, it also exacts a financial toll. The Impact of Heart Failure Report estimates that total medical costs to treat this disease will increase from $14.3 billion in 2015 to $29.2 billion in 2030. Moreover, HF is associated with indirect costs, including work loss, losses in household productivity and losses due to premature death. These indirect costs are expected to increase from $8.2 billion in 2015 to $12.3 billion in 2030.

The Rise Above Heart Failure initiative intends to address and decrease this condition by:

increasing public knowledge of HF, its symptoms and treatments;
encouraging dialogue about HF and urge HF patients and loved ones to be more proactive about their care;
promoting small lifestyle changes for all individuals that can help prevent HF; and
gathering a coalition of key organizations to collaborate in supporting the goal of decreasing HF burden.

Clyde W. Yancy

The initiative, which is sponsored by Novartis Pharmaceuticals Corporation, kicked off with a forum of public health leaders at the National Press Club in Washington, D.C. The forum, moderated by Clyde W. Yancy, MD, a past president of the AHA and chief of cardiology and Magerstadt professor at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine in Chicago, addressed strategies for decreasing the burden of HF, including policy changes, health care system improvements, and patient education and empowerment efforts. Panelists at the event included Janet Wright, MD, executive director, Million Hearts at the CDC; Michelle Blair, CEO, Heart Failure Society of America; Ryan Olohan, national industry director, Healthcare, Google; and Queen Latifah, award-winning actress, singer, songwriter, television producer and talk show host, joined by her mother, Rita Owens, who has HF.

“By having clear goals, we can implement strategies and programs that can help change the trajectory of heart failure,” Yancy said in the press release. “None of this can do this alone, it will take a commitment of individuals and public and private organizations working together to rise above the staggering impact of heart failure.”