Global Study Estimates 56 Million Heart Failure Cases in 2023

A cross-sectional study published in JAMA Cardiology estimated heart failure burden across 204 countries and territories from 1990 to 2023. Using Global Burden of Disease methodologies to integrate multiple information sources, researchers estimated prevalence and years lived with disability by age, sex, location, year, and underlying etiology, with 95% uncertainty intervals.

In 2023, an estimated 56.0 million people had heart failure globally (95% uncertainty interval, 49.9–62.2 million). Prevalence generally increased with age across locations. Ischemic and hypertensive heart disease were the leading etiologies among older adults, while congenital heart anomalies and rheumatic heart disease were common causes in children and young adults. The proportion attributed to alcohol use peaked in middle adulthood.

Etiological patterns differed geographically. Regions highlighted for rheumatic heart disease–related burden included parts of Asia, Oceania, and sub-Saharan Africa; alcohol-related burden was prominent in eastern and central Europe, Australasia, and the Caribbean. Chagas disease–related burden was highlighted across Latin American regions.

The findings support tailoring prevention to local etiologies, including efforts to reduce elevated blood pressure, excessive alcohol consumption, and tobacco use. These are modeled burden estimates rather than direct counts. The supplied abstract does not report numerical disability estimates or quantify changes since 1990, and full-text methods and limitations were unavailable for review.