The Data
Heart failure has become a major public health issue affecting millions of Americans. A person’s race or ethnicity should not put them more at risk for having heart failure - but unfortunately, it does. African Americans are more at risk for heart failure than any other race or ethnic group. But fortunately, a proven treatment exists.
Heart Failure is a Growing Health Concern
Heart Failure has a Unique, Disparate Impact on African Americans
Innovative Therapy for African Americans with Heart Failure is Available
Access to Recommended Therapy is Limited, Contributing to Ongoing Disparities
Heart Failure is a Growing Health Concern
- About 5.1 million people in the United States are living with heart failure
- An estimated 400,000 to 700,000 new cases of heart failure are diagnosed each year
- The number of deaths in in the United States from heart failure has more than doubled since 1979, averaging 250,000 annually
- About half of people who develop heart failure die within 5 years of diagnosis
Heart Failure has a Unique, Disparate Impact on African Americans
- Heart failure is associated with higher rates of hospitalization and mortality in the African-American population than among whites
- African Americans tend to acquire heart failure at an earlier age with more advanced heart damage
- African-Americans under the age of 50 have a 20% higher prevalence of heart failure compared to whites under the age of 50
- African American men are 30% more likely to die from heart disease than non-Hispanic white men
Innovative Therapy for African Americans with Heart Failure is Available
- According to a study in the New England Journal of Medicine, fixed dose ID/H reduced mortality for African American patients with heart failure by 43%
- According to a study in the New England Journal of Medicine, fixed dose ID/H also showed a 39% reduction in first time heart failure-related hospitalization and a substantial improvement in patient-reported quality of life factors
Access to Recommended Therapy is Limited, Contributing to Ongoing Disparities
- Despite the strong clinical evidence, only 22% of eligible heart failure patients receive fixed dose ID/H or either of its components upon discharge from a heart failure-related hospital admission
- In spite of Class 1A recommendation, less than 10% of eligible patients on Medicare Part D are receiving ID/H therapy
