Acute heart failure: Nomenclature, pathophysiology, and outcome measures
Acute heart failure (AHF) is the most common reason for hospital admission in patients over the age of 65, accounting for 1 000 000 admissions, over 6 000 000 hospital days, and $12 billion in costs.1, 2 The prognosis of patients admitted with AHF is dismal, with a 20% readmission rate and a 20% mortality rate within 6 months after admission.3 However, data are lacking on the pathogenesis, etiologic factors, risk stratification, and effective treatment of AHF. Most studies in AHF are small single-center studies, retrospective registries, or industry-or government-sponsored trials with selective eligibility criteria. A comprehensive evaluation of this syndrome in “real life” is still lacking. A major barrier to advancing our understanding of this syndrome has been defining AHF and differentiating it from decompensated chronic heart failure.
