Smoothing the Road: Improving Heart Failure Awareness Among Clinicians and Patients

Heart failure (HF) is among the most devastating diseases in cardiology. Based on statistics from the Heart Failure Society of America (HFSA), HF contributed to 425,147 deaths in the US in 2022, accounting for 45% of all cardiovascular mortality. Roughly 6.7 million Americans >20 years have HF – this number is expected to reach 8.7 million by 2030, 10.3 million in 2040, and 11.4 million by 2050.1

These statistics continue to rise in spite of a slew of available treatments and medications for HF and its associated risk factors. As more treatments are introduced and the overall prevalence of HF continues to increase, clinicians have largely turned to a lack of awareness of the options available to patients. Many drugs, including beta-blockers, mineralocorticoid receptor agonists, and SGLT2 inhibitors, have long since proven their efficacy in both clinical trials and real-world use; however, patient access to, and usage of, these drugs remain low.

In September of 2025, the Heart Failure Society of America and the American Society of Preventive Cardiology issued a joint statement on HF, aiming to reframe it as a preventable condition as opposed to an inevitable outcome. The document encouraged clinicians to prioritize the identification of risk factors, getting in front of the disease’s progression rather than treating it after it has manifested. It included strategies such as blood pressure control, glucose management, weight loss, lifestyle interventions, and genetic risk screening, among others.2

Since the statement’s release, the HF conversation has largely shifted towards prevention. Multiple specialties, primarily nephrology and endocrinology, have been folded into the overall prevention cascade as more interdisciplinary treatments come to light. GLP-1 receptor agonists, such as semaglutide, have demonstrated substantial reductions in many risk factors for HF, while up-and-coming non-steroidal MRAs have provided promising results further upstream in the disease’s progression.

As we enter 2026, further research and progress can be enhanced by increasing awareness of the options available to patients. Addressing issues such as stepwise prescription and working through prior authorization can increase patient access to crucial medications. A more universal interpretation of HF as a preventable condition may bring more patients into the clinic as they learn the importance of locating risk factors early. And interdisciplinary work between heart failure clinicians and preventive cardiologists, as well as between specialties like nephrology and endocrinology, can enhance the care that we are already providing for patients.

Editor’s Note: Le reports disclosures with Janssen, Pfizer, Novartis, Idorsia, Amarin, and Lexicon. Gulati reports disclosures with Novartis, Esperion, Boehringer Ingelheim, and Merck. Vaduganathan reports disclosures with Amgen, AstraZeneca, Bayer AG, Cytokinetics, Lexicon, Boehringer Ingelheim, and others.

References

1. Fonarow GC, Ahmad FS, Ahmad T, et al. HF stats 2025: Heart Failure Epidemiology and Outcomes Statistics an updated 2025 report from the Heart Failure Society of America. Journal of Cardiac Failure. 2026;32(2):439-498. doi:10.1016/j.cardfail.2025.07.007

2. Heart Failure Society of America. Heart Failure Society of America and American Society for Preventive Cardiology Joint Statement Calls for a Shift in Heart Failure Prevention and Care. August 13, 2025. Accessed February 13, 2026. https://hfsa.org/heart-failure-society-america-and-american-society-preventive-cardiology-joint-statement-calls-0