TORONTO, Sept. 14 /PRNewswire/ -- Nearly half of all patients who are hospitalized for the first time due to congestive heart failure could have been diagnosed in the less expensive, less urgent care setting of their doctor’s office. This is according to a study presented today in a poster session at the Heart Failure Society of America (HFSA) 2004 Scientific Meeting in Toronto, Canada.
Data from a Harris Interactive(R) poll of patients with congestive heart failure (CHF) indicated a need for earlier diagnosis and better education of heart failure patients in order to impact the epidemic course of the disease in America.
“Even with recent advances in heart failure treatment and increased establishment of disease education programs, the Harris poll shows us that there is still ample room for more education and earlier diagnosis in order to prevent acute attacks of heart failure that cause patients to be hospitalized,” said Brenda S. Thompson, R.N., M.S., lead study presenter and member of the cardiology care staff at University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center in Dallas.
According to the American Heart Association Heart Disease and Stroke Statistics -- 2004 Update, each year more than 50,000 people die of congestive heart failure and 550,000 new disease cases are reported. An estimated 5 million Americans have congestive heart failure, and these patients are at significant risk for hospitalization, translating into a potential cost of $28.8 billion for the healthcare system.
The poll was conducted by Harris Interactive, funded by Scios Inc., and surveyed a sample of 261 congestive heart failure (CHF) patients across the United States. According to the poll, patients with delayed diagnosis suffered more symptoms, took more medications, used more hospital resources and were more likely to suffer from comorbid conditions such as diabetes or depression. Delayed diagnosis was caused by patients either not seeking treatment early enough or from patients being misdiagnosed.
The poll also found that patients with heart failure had variable levels of knowledge about the disease, including risk factors, symptoms and treatment options. Based on these results, study investigators conclude that better patient education initiatives are needed to impact disease awareness, knowledge and treatment.
“The results of the Harris poll indicate that earlier diagnosis and better education of heart failure patients may help to prevent costly hospitalizations. Seeing patients early in the progression of acutely decompensated heart failure and diagnosing and treating them before they end up in the hospital can change the course of the disease and potentially improve patient quality of life,” said study investigator Clyde W. Yancy, M.D., Associate Professor of Medicine & Cardiology, Director of Congestive Heart Failure/Heart Transplant Program at UT Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas.
About Harris Interactive(R)
Harris Interactive (http://www.harrisinteractive.com/) is a worldwide market research and consulting firm best known for The Harris Poll(R), and for pioneering the Internet method to conduct scientifically accurate market research. Headquartered in Rochester, New York, U.S.A., Harris Interactive combines proprietary methodologies and technology with expertise in predictive, custom and strategic research. The Company conducts international research through wholly owned subsidiaries -- London-based HI Europe (http://www.hieurope.com/) and Tokyo-based Harris Interactive Japan -- as well as through the Harris Interactive Global Network of local market- and opinion-research firms, and various U.S. offices.
About Congestive Heart Failure
Congestive heart failure is characterized by a progressive loss in the heart’s ability to pump blood. Since a weak heart does not pump fluid very well through the body, fluid can back up and “pool” in the lungs causing shortness of breath or can accumulate in the ankles causing swelling. This is why heart failure is often called “congestive” heart failure, or CHF. The term “decompensated” is a medical term used to describe patients with these symptoms.
About Scios Inc.
Scios Inc., a Johnson & Johnson company, is a biopharmaceutical company headquartered in Fremont, California. Scios is developing novel treatments for cardiovascular disease, inflammatory disease and cancer. The Company’s disease-based technology platform integrates expertise in protein biology with computational and medicinal chemistry to identify novel targets and rationally design small molecule compounds and peptides for markets with unmet medical needs. For more information, visit http://www.sciosinc.com/.
Scios Inc.
CONTACT: Chris B. Ernst of Scios Inc., +1-415-710-9445; orKarin Bauer Aranaz of WeissCom Partners, Inc., +1-415-859-3414, for SciosInc.
Web site: http://www.harrisinteractive.com/
Web site: http://www.sciosinc.com/