Chronic heart failure is an increasing problem worldwide. There are around 900,000 people with heart failure in the UK and almost as many with damaged hearts but without any symptoms of heart failure. Heart failure is a complex syndrome of symptoms and signs. If left untreated, it has a poor prognosis, but mortality and morbidity can be greatly improved by early, targeted treatment.The most common causes of chronic heart failure in the UK are coronary heart disease and hypertension, with many patients having had a myocardial infarction in the past. Associated risk factors, such as an ageing population, increases in the rates of diabetes mellitus and hyperlipidaemia, and smoking, have also contributed to the increasing prevalence of heart failure in the UK.
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