What is Happening with Heart Failure in Brazil? An Insight from DATASUS Data Analysis

Introduction

Heart failure (HF) is a chronic and progressive clinical syndrome caused by a structural or functional cardiac abnormality, whose symptoms include dyspnea and fatigue and are accompanied by physical signs such as peripheral edema, pulmonary rales, and jugular venous distension. The natural history of HF often involves rapid worsening of symptoms and signs, leading to severe manifestations at rest, characterizing acute decompensated HF (AHF), usually requiring hospitalization for its control.

AHF is responsible for a large part of the costs of HF for the health system and represents a serious clinical problem with an in-hospital mortality rate of around 4%.

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