Introduction and objectives: Congestive heart failure is associated with substantial morbidity and mortality and both its incidence and prevalence are high. Nevertheless, comprehensive data on this condition in Spain are lacking. The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence of congestive heart failure in Spain.
Methods: A demographic study which involved the participation of 15 healthcare centers throughout Spain was carried out. In each health area, a random sample was taken of the population aged 45 years or more. These individuals were examined by their primary care physicians, who made their diagnoses using Framingham criteria. Individuals who satisfied criteria for congestive heart failure were referred to a cardiologist for confirmation of the diagnosis and for echocardiography.
Results: Overall, 1776 individuals were evaluated. Their mean age was 64+/-12 years (range, 45-100 years) and 44% were male. Of these, 242 were referred to a cardiologist. The weighted prevalence of congestive heart failure was 6.8% (95% confidence interval [CI] 4%-8.7%). The prevalence was similar in men (6.5%, 95% CI 4.7%-8.4%) and women (7%, 95% CI 4.4%-9.6%). When analyzed by age, the prevalence was 1.3% (0.4%-2.1%) in those aged 45-54 years, 5.5% (2.4%-8.5%) in those aged 55-64 years, 8% (4.2%-11.8%) in those aged 65-74 years, and 16.1% (11%-21.1%) in those aged over 74 years.
Conclusions: Prevalence of congestive heart failure in Spain is high, at about 7%-8%. The prevalence was similar in males and females, and appeared to increase with age.