HFSA/ASPC Heart Failure Prevention: The Importance of Early Detection in Heart Failure

A joint statement by the American Society for Preventive Cardiology (ASPC) and the Heart Failure Society of America (HFSA), published on August 13, 2025, shifts the focus of heart failure from recovery to prevention for the first time. “The Continuum of Prevention and Heart Failure in Cardiovascular Medicine” provides clinicians with a framework of strategies to apply across all stages of heart failure, irrespective of ejection fraction.

Instead of viewing the condition as an inevitable outcome, this statement recontextualizes heart failure as a preventable condition. It encourages clinicians to identify and manage risk factors earlier through methods such as glucose management, genetic risk screening, lifestyle interventions, weight loss, and blood pressure control.1

In the second episode of a 7-part HCPLive Special Report, moderator James Januzzi, MD, is joined by Martha Gulati, MD, MS, and Anu Lala, MD, to discuss the importance of detecting heart failure warning signs early.

Januzzi reflects on how prevention has come full circle—what once was a generalist approach of managing risk factors is now reinforced with modern tools and therapies. Treatments originally developed for heart failure patients are increasingly being shown to have preventive benefits. He points out that in 2013, there was little guidance for stage A patients, whereas now a robust body of research supports preventive strategies. This shift underlines the growing recognition of prevention as a central framework in managing cardiovascular health.

Gulati explains that early identification and aggressive treatment of modifiable risk factors—such as hypertension, kidney disease, and high cholesterol—are key. While these issues have been recognized for years, she highlights the persistence of “clinical inertia,” where many patients remain untreated or undertreated.

With updated hypertension and forthcoming cholesterol guidelines, along with emerging therapies for chronic kidney disease, physicians now have stronger tools to intervene earlier. However, she also notes the challenges faced by primary care providers with limited patient time, stressing the need to prioritize prevention in clinical practice to change long-term outcomes.

Our Panelists:

• James Januzzi, MD, is the Hutter Family Professor of Medicine at Harvard and the Director of Heart Failure and Biomarker Trials at the Balm Institute for Clinical Research. Januzzi serves as the moderator for this conversation.
• Martha Gulati, MD, MS, is the associate director of the Barbra Streisand Women Heart Center and the director of CVD Prevention at the Smidt Heart Institute at Cedars Sinai Medical Center. She was also the president of the ASPC from 2022-2024.
• Anu Lala, MD, is an associate professor of medicine at the Zena & Michael A Wiener Cardiovascular Institute, and a member of the Department of Population Health Science and Statistics at Icahn School of Mount Sinai and Mount Sinai Hospital.

Editors’ Note: Januzzi reports disclosures with Abbott Laboratories, AbbVie, Inc., Eli Lilly, AstraZeneca Pharmaceuticals, Jana Care, Siemens, and others. Gulati reports disclosures with the American Society of Preventive Cardiology, Eli Lilly, Merck & Co., Boehringer Ingelheim Pharmaceuticals, Medtronic, Zoll, and others. Lala reports disclosures with Abiomed, AstraZeneca, Merck & Co., Novo Nordisk, Sequana, Bayer, and others.

References:

1. 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. PRNewswire. August 13, 2025. Accessed September 9, 2025. https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/heart-failure-society-of-america-and-american-society-for-preventive-cardiology-joint-statement-calls-for-a-shift-in-heart-failure-prevention-and-care-302529062.html

2. Lala A, Beavers C, Blumer V, et al. The continuum of prevention and heart failure in Cardiovascular Medicine: A joint scientific statement from the Heart Failure Society of America and the American Society for Preventive Cardiology. American Journal of Preventive Cardiology. Published online August 13, 2025:101069. doi:10.1016/j.ajpc.2025.101069