AimsThe epidemiology of congestive heart failure (CHF) is likely to have changed due to changes in demography, risk factors, diagnostic procedures, and medical care. Prevailing information is in part old, incomplete, and to some extent contradictory. We determined the current prevalence, incidence, mortality, and 5-year survival rate of CHF, and possible temporal changes in Sweden. Methods and resultsThis was a cross-sectional study on individual patient data from an administrative health data register in the Stockholm region, Sweden, comprising 2.1 million inhabitants. This contained all recorded diagnoses on all consultations in primary and secondary care (defined as specialist outpatient care), and on all hospitalizations. Prevalence, incidence, and mortality were estimated for the entire Swedish population, adjusted for demographic composition in 2010. The study population consisted of 88 038 patients (51% women). The prevalence was 2.2% (both women and men), the incidence was 3.8/1000 person-years (both women and men), and mortality was 3.2/1000 person-years in women and 3.0/ 1000 person-years in men (P , 0.001); the 5-year survival rate was 48%. Mortality (age adjusted; hazard ratio and 95% confidence intervals) was higher in men, 1.29, 1.24-1.34; P , 0.001. Prevalence remained essentially unchanged from 2006 to 2010, while incidence decreased by 24% (P , 0.001) and mortality by 19% (both women and men; P , 0.001). ConclusionsThe estimated prevalence of CHF in Sweden is 2.2%, incidence 3.8/1000 person-years, and mortality 3.1/1000 personyears. There has been a decrease in incidence and mortality from 2006 to 2010 in both women and men, with no major change in prevalence over time.--

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Aims: To relate clinical data in a consecutive cohort of patients admitted with heart failure in Sweden to demographic data and the use of diagnostic tests, medical treatment, care process and mortality. Methods and results: Retrospective investigation of all charts concerning patients discharged with primary diagnosis of heart failure in two Swedish hospitals during the second half of 1995 was undertaken. Records from 187 men and 192 women were analyzed, median age was 78 years. During hospital stay 75% of the patients, regardless of gender, were examined with chest radiography. Echocardiography was performed in Ž . 59% of all patients, more often in men than in women 68% vs. 55%, P-0.011 . The proportion of patients receiving Ž . Ž ACE-inhibitors was higher if echocardiography had been performed, in both men 38% vs. 72%, P -0.001 and women 38% . vs. 55%, P-0.033 . Mean hospital stay was 6.4 days. After discharge 57% of the patients were referred to the general Ž . Ž . Ž . practitioners GP , 21% to the hospital outpatient clinic. Young age P-0.001 , male gender P-0.01 and treatment with Ž . ␤-blocking agents P-0.035 were independently related to referral to hospital outpatient clinic. Within the group referred to the GPs, 62% of the patients had a follow-up visit within 3 months after discharge while 49% had visited the hospital outpatient clinic. The 1-year mortality rate was high, 30%. Conclusion: Patients admitted with heart failure in Sweden are old and carry a poor prognosis. In spite of the poor prognosis, only approximately half of the patients are followed-up within 3 months after discharge. There is, in contrast to practice guidelines, an underuse of diagnostic tests of left ventricular function and medical treatment is often suboptimal. These unsatisfactory findings were more pronounced in women. ᮊ