Causes and risk factors
While heart failure is often caused by underlying health conditions, each individual’s health risks are unique. Many factors like age, family history, and lifestyle can contribute, but early detection with advanced diagnostic tools can help manage and reduce the likelihood of serious damage.
Heart failure occurs when the heart cannot pump enough blood to meet the body's needs. It’s usually triggered by other health conditions affecting the heart muscles, including coronary artery disease, heart attack, high blood pressure, heart valve disorders, congenital defects, cardiomyopathy, myocarditis, diabetes, and pulmonary hypertension.3
Risk factors that increase the likelihood of heart failure include being 65 years of age or older, having a family history of heart failure, obesity, being Black/African American, sleep apnea, smoking, alcohol use, a sedentary lifestyle, and chronic diseases or infections like HIV, COVID-19, and thyroid disease.4
Common symptoms include shortness of breath, wheezing, coughing up mucus, swelling, weight gain, fatigue, loss of appetite, nausea, memory issues, and a racing heart. These symptoms and conditions can mimic other health issues, making early diagnosis challenging but essential for effective treatment.5
Addressing the impact
Heart failure is a significant health concern in the United States, affecting millions and leading to high rates of hospitalizations and mortality. Here are key statistics highlighting its impact:
- Prevalence: 6.7 million adults in the United States currently live with heart failure, and 1 in 4 Americans will develop heart failure in their lifetime.1
- Hospitalizations: Heart failure leads to more hospital admissions than all forms of cancer combined.6
- Mortality: Nearly half of the individuals diagnosed with heart failure will die within five years.7
Demographic breakdown
- Age: The risk of death from heart failure increases with age. Those over 65 represent over 90% of deaths attributed to the condition. Among Medicare patients, the one-year survival rate is about 70%.8
- Sex: Women with heart failure generally have better five-year survival rates than men.9
- Ethnicity/Race: Hospitalization rates for heart failure are higher among Black/African American patients, who also have a higher one-year survival rate compared to Hispanic, non-Hispanic White, Asian, Pacific Islander, and Native American patients. White patients have the highest mortality at the one-year mark.10
While heart failure affects all communities, its impact is not evenly distributed. By educating ourselves and others about the risk factors, symptoms, and importance of early intervention, especially in heavily affected communities, we can significantly improve outcomes for those at risk.
Importance of early detection
Early detection and diagnosis are crucial for improving outcomes in heart failure. Initiating treatment promptly can prevent complications and enhance the chances of recovery. Timely medical intervention and lifestyle changes can prevent an estimated 200,000 deaths each year in the United States due to heart disease and stroke.11
Eko’s early detection solution: SENSORA™ Low EF
At Eko, we’re committed to empowering clinicians with advanced tools for detecting and managing heart failure. Our latest FDA-cleared innovation, SENSORA™ Low EF, revolutionizes heart failure detection by identifying reduced ejection fraction during routine physical exams. Ejection fraction (EF) measures how well the heart's left ventricle pumps blood. It's expressed as a percentage of the total blood in the left ventricle that's pumped out with each heartbeat. Low EF can indicate that the heart isn't functioning correctly and individuals may be at risk of heart failure. With many heart failure cases going undetected until symptoms are severe, this groundbreaking technology offers a critical advantage in improving patient outcomes and reducing healthcare costs.2
SENSORA™ Low EF integrates seamlessly with Eko stethoscopes, pairing powerful low EF detection AI with traditional auscultation. This enables rapid identification of reduced ejection fraction at the point of care prior to an echocardiogram, which is often inaccessible in primary care settings due to required training, limited time, and added cost. When a positive result is detected, healthcare providers can decide whether to refer patients for an echocardiogram or cardiology consult.2
Eko’s Low EF AI was trained on a dataset of over 100,000 ECGs and echocardiogram pairs, and validated in a study of 3,456 patients, achieving an AUROC of 0.835 for LVEF ≤40%, with 74.7% sensitivity and 77.5% specificity.2 A real-world independent validation study by Imperial College London reported an AUROC of 0.85 for LVEF ≤40%, with 84.8% sensitivity and 69.5% specificity in over 1,050 patients. This led to the UK NHS extending Eko's deployment to over 100 clinics in London and Wales.12
Working together to improve outcomes
Time is a precious resource in primary care, and SENSORA™ Low EF optimizes it by analyzing heart sounds and ECG data for EF at or below 40% in just 15 seconds. This quick and accurate assessment ensures minimal disruption to clinical workflow, allowing clinicians to maintain their schedules while still providing exceptional care.
Through the SENSORA™ platform, Eko is equipping healthcare professionals with cutting-edge tools. Together, we can create a future where low EF and heart failure is detected managed more effectively through earlier detection, transforming lives and outcomes for patients across the globe.
References:
1. “About Heart Failure.” Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Accessed 29 Aug. 2024.