Heart Failure Congress 2009

"Heart failure is by far the most prevalent chronic cardiac condition. Around 30 million people in Europe have heart failure and its incidence is still increasing: more cases are being identified, more people are living to an old age, and more are surviving a heart attack but with damage to the heart muscle. According to Professor John McMurray, President of the Heart Failure Association of the ESC, it was not long ago that acute heart failure admissions were "overwhelming" hospitals, but the better identification of symptoms as indicative of heart failure - and thus their more appropriate treatment - have brought about dramatic improvements. "We have seen a 40-50 per cent reduction in mortality rates in a short time," he says, "and this is mainly because of better diagnosis and better treatment. The trick is to identify the right patient and deliver the right treatment." However, despite the improvements, there are still huge challenges in the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of heart failure. These will all be addressed at Heart Failure 2009, the annual congress of the Heart Failure Association of the European Society of Cardiology, which takes place in Nice, France, from 30 May to 2 June"