Heart failure is one of the most commonly diagnosed diseases today. Nearly five million Americans are affected by heart failure, with 550,000 new cases diagnosed each year. With the advancing age and longer life span of our population, these numbers are likely to increase drastically. The price tag for treating heart failure will also rise in the future. The direct and indirect costs of heart failure for 2005 have been estimated at $27.9 billion. As treatment for conditions contributing to heart failure, such as heart attacks and high blood pressure improve, it is expected more individuals will be diagnosed with heart failure.

Read the entire article at http://www.ncpad.org/349/2029/Congestive~Heart~Failure.