Heart Failure Awareness Week (HFAW), which takes place February 11-17 2024, was created to encourage education and awareness on heart failure and best practices for prevention.¹
While the entirety of American Heart Month in February is designed to promote education on heart disease prevalence and prevention², Heart Failure Awareness Week focuses on a specific condition that affects millions of Americans and is responsible for a significant amount of cardiac-related hospitalizations and deaths. It has been estimated that there are over 950,000 new cases of heart failure every year, and that it contributes to as many as 36% of all cardiovascular disease mortalities.³
Given that heart failure is such a serious condition, it’s important to help ensure your patients understand the risks and how it works. What is the theme of Heart Failure Awareness Week this year? And what is the latest in heart failure research and treatment?
Heart Failure Awareness Week 2024
Heart Failure Awareness Week takes place the week of Valentine’s Day, meaning in 2024 it will be Sunday February 11th through Saturday the 17th.
As of this writing, the schedule for HFAW 2024 has not been announced. Typically, each day in the week is dedicated to a different heart failure topic; in 2023, individual days within Heart Failure Awareness Week focused on topics like heart failure diagnosis, management, patient/provider relationships, and milestones.⁴ Social media discussions and hashtags are also promoted during HFAW. This year, the hashtag will be #HFWeek2024.¹
HFAW 2024 Theme: Heartbeat of Research
The theme for Heart Failure Awareness Week in 2024 is “Heartbeat of Research,” a deeper look into the world of heart failure research and what it means for both the present and future of heart failure treatment and care.⁵ This includes providing a deeper understanding of the clinical trial process and promoting further funding for research, as heart failure research funding lags behind that of other conditions despite being the leading cause of death in America.
The “Heartbeat of Research” theme also promotes awareness and understanding of heart failure statistics for educational purposes.⁵ Being able to better educate people on heart failure may help to promote preventative measures, as well as help patients and providers work to create an individualized treatment plan for those with heart failure.
Heart Failure Awareness Week: History and Impact

The Heart Failure Society of America (HFSA) helped to first establish Heart Failure Awareness Week in 2000, when HFAW took place from February 14-21.⁶ The initiative then had the same goals it does today: educate patients on heart failure recognition and treatment, while promoting awareness of the disease and those who live with it. Heart failure had been increasing significantly, with deaths from heart failure rising by 120% from 1979 to 1996.⁶ At the time, it was estimated there were 400,000 new heart failure diagnoses every year.
In the years since the inception of HFAW, the Heart Failure Society of America has continued and expanded its advocacy in the medical field. This includes collaborating with other relevant groups to comment on proposed changes to insurance coverage policies for ventricular assistance devices, and advocating for funding for the National Institute of Health to support research that had stalled as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.⁷ In recent years, the HFSA also launched an HFSA Learning Center that offers continuing education on heart failure, as well as the HFSA Awareness365 initiative to encourage heart failure awareness year-round.⁸
In the years since Heart Failure Awareness Week began, other organizations have also started education and awareness initiatives. In 2002, the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute created The Heart Truth, an initiative to raise awareness about heart disease being a leading cause of death among women.⁹ Initially designed to promote education among women ages 40 to 60, the program has expanded to promote preventative measures in younger women as well.
American Heart Month
In addition to hosting Heart Failure Awareness Week, February is also American Heart Month. American Heart Month focuses on heart disease prevention, which is the leading cause of death in the United States.² Preventative measures for heart disease, including lifestyle changes like diet management and exercise, can help prevent heart failure.
Congestive Heart Failure Definition
Congestive heart failure (CHF) is a syndrome in which the heart struggles to perform the task of pumping a sufficient supply of blood to the rest of the body.¹º CHF can develop as a result of several different conditions, including:
- Ischemic heart disease
- Hypertension
- Cardiomyopathy
- Valvular heart disease
- Obesity
The heart may either become too weak to pump sufficient amounts of blood (systolic heart failure) or struggle to fill with enough blood (diastolic heart failure).³ Either way, heart failure results in both congestion and a buildup of fluid – factors that often cause the symptoms of CHF to develop.
There are different stages of congestive heart failure based on symptoms and severity.¹º The American College of Cardiology and American Heart Association use Stages A through D to characterize the severity from at-risk for heart failure to having refractory symptoms that affect quality of life and lead to hospitalization. The New York Heart Association classifies heart failure from Class I to IV, ranging from Class I where symptoms appear after strenuous activity to Class IV where symptoms can appear even during rest.
Congestive heart failure symptoms may not immediately seem like a sign of CHF, which is why those at-risk should be aware of how it affects the body. Heart failure symptoms may include:
- Shortness of breath from simple activities or climbing stairs
- Fatigue and tiring easily
- Trouble sleeping while lying flat
- Coughing
- Nausea
- Lack of appetite
- Swelling in feet, ankles, legs, or abdomen
- Increased need for urination
Latest Heart Failure Research
Recent research on heart failure allows us to have a better understanding of how many people are at-risk, possible outcomes of contemporary treatments, and potential emerging treatment options.
A 2023 report in the Journal of Cardiac Failure approximated that 6.7 million people in America over 20 have heart failure – a figure that’s expected to increase to 8.5 million by 2030.¹¹ The researchers claim that the lifetime risk for heart failure is now 24%, and that 33% of the adult population in the United States is currently at risk. Disparities based on race and geographic regions also appear; Black and Hispanic Americans were much more likely to develop heart disease, while Americans in rural areas had higher mortality rates, indicating a significant lack of access to care. Overall, heart failure mortality rates have increased since 2012.
Other studies have also observed an increase in heart failure incidence and noted ways it could potentially impact the healthcare system. An April 2023 study in Heart used digital healthcare systems to examine heart failure and healthcare cost statistics, estimating that as many as 2% of the adult population has heart failure.¹² The researchers also claimed the most common comorbidities were ischemic heart disease and chronic kidney disease, and that hospital care costs were highest for cardiorenal conditions. This information, they stated, was crucial for health care providers to apply when considering heart failure treatment and management.
Managing/Treating Congestive Heart Failure
While heart failure is an incurable condition, there are measures patients can take to manage it and positively impact their quality of life and lifespan. If a patient is in Stage A, where they are at-risk, lifestyle modifications such as a healthy diet and physical activity may be recommended.¹⁰
In severe cases, surgical procedures may be needed to treat heart failure. Depending on the circumstances, patients may need an implantable cardioverter defibrillator to reset the heart rhythm or a left ventricular assist device to help pump blood.¹³ In some instances, heart transplantation may be needed.
Heart Failure Medications
Medications are often prescribed to patients with CHF to help provide a superior quality of life. These heart failure medications can work in different ways to ease the strain heart failure puts on the body. For example, angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors and angiotensin receptor blockers (ARBs) can be used to widen blood vessels and lessen the work the heart is required to do.¹⁴ ARBs can also be combined with a neprilysin inhibitor to potentially improve blood flow and decrease strain on the heart. SGLT-2 inhibitors, hydralazine, statins, potassium, and diuretics may also be considered. The appropriate treatment depends on the patient’s symptoms and severity.
Beta Blockers in Heart Failure
Beta blockers are another common treatment option for patients with CHF. In slowing a patient’s heart rate, beta blockers such as carvedilol or metoprolol succinate allow the heart to better pump blood and regain strength.³
Read more: Beta Blockers in Heart Failure Management
How to Prevent Congestive Heart Failure
Preventing congestive heart failure is best done with the aforementioned lifestyle modifications, though it’s recommended that patients start before they’re deemed at risk. Starting a healthier diet to help maintain a healthier weight can help put less strain on the heart, while physical exercise can help strengthen it. It is also recommended that patients who smoke quit as soon as possible, as smoking increases the risk for heart disease.
Conditions that could contribute to eventual heart disease, such as hypertension or diabetes, should be carefully managed.¹⁵ If left untreated, they could lead to heart disease and eventual heart failure.
The Importance of Heart Failure Awareness
Heart failure awareness is important not just for preventative purposes, but because patients simply may not be fully informed on what having and living with heart failure actually looks like. Considering the number of adults with heart failure is expected to rise in the coming years, education may help people who are at-risk avoid heart failure and help patients who are developing heart failure improve their quality of life. Heart Failure Awareness Week is carried out in the hopes of promoting education and research commensurate with its severity as a leading cause of mortality.
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