Article Impact Level: HIGH Data Quality: STRONG Summary of Annals of Internal Medicine, ANNALS-24-01321. https://doi.org/10.7326/ANNALS-24-01321 Dr. Jeremy B. Sussman et al.
Points
- Using the PREVENT equations, researchers analyzed data from NHANES (2017-2020) and estimated a mean 10-year heart failure risk of 3.7%, with 15.0 million U.S. adults classified at intermediate or high risk.
- Elevated heart failure risk was most common in older adults (62.4% aged 70-79 years) and rare among younger adults (0.3% aged 30-39 years).
- While risk distribution was relatively consistent across racial groups, Black adults comprised a higher proportion (14.2%) of the elevated-risk group compared to the low-risk group (9.7%).
- Among those at elevated heart failure risk, 54.3% had systolic blood pressure >130 mm Hg, and 55.6% had a body mass index >30 kg/m².
- The study emphasizes the importance of targeted primary prevention strategies for heart failure to reduce the public health burden.
Summary
In a recent study, researchers used the Predicting Risk of Cardiovascular Disease EVENTs (PREVENT) equations to identify U.S. adults at elevated risk for heart failure based on data from the 2017 to 2020 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES). The study included 4,872 participants, representing 143.2 million U.S. adults aged 30 to 79. Using the PREVENT equations, the researchers calculated the 10-year risk for heart failure and atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD). The mean estimated 10-year risk for heart failure was found to be 3.7%, with 15.0 million adults classified as having an intermediate or high risk for heart failure.
The study revealed notable age-related variations in heart failure risk. Among those classified as having elevated heart failure risk, 62.4% were aged 70-79 years, while only 0.3% were aged 30-39 years. The racial and ethnic distribution of risk was relatively consistent, though Black adults comprised 9.7% of the low-risk group and 14.2% of the elevated-risk group. There was a strong correlation between the risk for heart failure and ASCVD (R² = 0.83), with 4.6% of participants in a higher-risk category for heart failure compared to ASCVD and 0.9% in a lower-risk category.
Further analysis showed that 54.3% of participants with elevated heart failure risk had systolic blood pressure above 130 mm Hg, and 55.6% had a body mass index greater than 30 kg/m². The study highlights the importance of identifying populations at elevated risk for heart failure and suggests that implementing strategies for primary heart failure prevention could have a significant public health impact.
Link to the article: https://www.acpjournals.org/doi/10.7326/ANNALS-24-01321
References Sussman, J. B., Wilson, L. M., Burke, J. F., Ziaeian, B., & Anderson, T. S. (2024). Clinical characteristics and current management of u. S. Adults at elevated risk for heart failure using the prevent equations: A cross-sectional analysis. Annals of Internal Medicine, ANNALS-24-01321. https://doi.org/10.7326/ANNALS-24-01321
