Approach to: Heart failure

Heart Failure (HF) affects more than 650,000 Canadians (3.6% of Canadian adults above age 40). Even with recent advances in the diagnosis and treatment of this disease, HF remains among the five most common causes for hospitalization in Canada, with a readmission rate above 30% at the 1-year mark. Despite the significant economic and clinical burden of this disease, there is limited awareness among healthcare providers, healthcare system managers, and governments regarding the current HF epidemic and available therapies. This article reviews the definition of HF and the approach to evaluating a patient with suspected HF, focusing on the different presentations of HF, the clinical significance of ejection fraction, and the usefulness of BNP as a marker of cardiac function.