Standardized monitoring and scientific treatment help achieve reversible treatment. There are approximately 8.9 million heart failure patients in China with cardiovascular disease | patients | monitoring
At the Asia Pacific Cardiology Society Conference held in Singapore from July 13th to 15th, it was reported that half of the world's cardiovascular disease patients come from Asia, and heart failure is one of the main reasons for hospitalization of cardiovascular disease patients. As a hidden and serious health challenge, heart failure has not received enough attention from the public. According to statistics, there are about 8.9 million heart failure patients in China. The incidence rate of people over 35 years old is 1.3%, and the average age of onset is between 65 and 67 years old. Heart failure leads to high hospitalization rates, heavy medical expenses, and social burdens for patients. Accurate diagnosis and timely intervention urgently need to be popularized to reduce the risks of the disease.
Forum news: The aging population in the Asia Pacific region is progressing rapidly, with lifestyle changes and an increased risk of heart failure among the population. Obesity, hypertension, diabetes and other factors will lead to increased incidence of heart failure. The incidence of heart failure in the adult population is about 1% -2%, and this number will continue to rise as aging intensifies.
According to data from the International Journal of Cardiology, hospitalization time for Asian heart failure patients ranges from 5 to 12.5 days, and 3% to 15% of patients will be readmitted within 30 days. Heart failure leading to high medical costs has become a common phenomenon in many countries. In Japan, the annual expenditure on cardiovascular disease medical care exceeds 50 billion US dollars, which is 1.5 times the expenditure on cancer treatment. The average hospitalization time for heart failure patients is more than 2 weeks, and the cost per person per hospitalization exceeds 10000 US dollars.
Heart failure is also known as the "last battlefield" in the field of cardiovascular disease. Professor Zhang Yuhui, Deputy Leader of the Heart Failure Group of the Cardiovascular Disease Branch of the Chinese Medical Association and Director of the Heart Failure Center at Fuwai Hospital of the Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, said that early heart failure does not have typical symptoms. It mainly manifests as shortness of breath, shortness of breath, chest tightness after fatigue, and may be accompanied by decreased appetite, lower limb swelling, etc. The symptoms are hidden and difficult to attract the attention of patients. In the later stages of disease progression, there may be fatigue, fatigue, weakness, and even difficulty breathing after lying flat due to slight activity. As for the inducements, hypertension, diabetes, obesity, the use of cardiotoxic chemotherapy drugs, sleep breathing disorders, etc. may affect the heart function, leading to heart failure.
One of the major challenges in clinical treatment of heart failure is diagnosis. Experts explained that there are obvious differences between heart failure assessment and hypertension, diabetes, etc. The latter two have a unified standard and can be known in one volume. Heart failure needs to be determined according to the symptoms and signs described by the patient, plus objective indicators, cardiac ultrasound, etc., to finally determine the type of heart failure of the patient and carry out targeted treatment.
Many people mistakenly believe that heart failure is irreversible. Zhang Yuhui clarified that 30% or even higher proportion of patients in clinical practice can improve symptoms, restore health, and even completely recover through standardized and timely diagnosis and treatment. Therefore, the treatment of heart failure is a reversible dynamic process. Under the guidance of a doctor, patients can carry out dynamic monitoring of cardiac biomarkers such as NT proBNP, guide the adjustment of medication, effectively manage the disease, and achieve reversible changes.
The STRING-HF study published in the authoritative medical journal The Lancet showed that increasing drug dosage in patients with acute heart failure after close follow-up of indicators such as NT proBNP after discharge can significantly reduce all-cause mortality and readmission risk within six months, and improve the quality of life for more heart failure patients.
At present, the guidelines for heart failure in China recommend that chronic heart failure requires 2-3 months of follow-up and medication adjustment; After the disease stabilizes, it is recommended to have a follow-up examination within 3-6 months. As for prevention, we should start from the source. Hypertension and diabetes patients should reach the standard and control, and NT proBNP levels should be monitored regularly. Individuals with a history of heart disease should pay attention to the use of cardiotoxic drugs to reduce cardiac dysfunction and lower the risk of heart failure.
It is also reported that since the establishment of the National Cardiovascular Disease Center Heart Failure Specialist Medical Association in 2018, China has established more than 1000 "Heart Failure Specialist Centers" in various levels and types of medical institutions, aiming to train more grassroots clinical doctors to achieve standardized diagnosis and treatment, establish a database to accumulate clinical data, smooth the referral channels of upper and lower level medical institutions, and provide patients with a green channel for life.
