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The prevalence and costs of the U.S. heart-failure epidemic have been documented primarily using hospital data. True incidence remains elusive, as outpatient records are not routinely reviewed. Framingham Heart Study data for 1950 to 1999 have documented a stable incidence of heart failure among men and a decline among women, and improved survival for both sexes (Journal Watch Cardiology Feb 28 2003). To replicate these findings, researchers used a community-based database of inpatient and outpatient records from 4537 residents (57% women) of Olmsted County, Minnesota, who were diagnosed with heart failure from 1979 to 2000. Diagnoses were validated using Framingham and clinical criteria.
From 1979-1984 to 1996-2000, age-adjusted heart-failu…