The Continuum of Prevention and Heart Failure in Cardiovascular Medicine: A Joint Scientific Statement from the Heart Failure Society of America and The American Society for Preventive Cardiology

Heart disease is the leading cause of death worldwide, with heart failure (HF) recognized as its most severe and debilitating manifestation. Though remarkable advancements have led to the establishment of life-saving and quality-of-life-enhancing medical and device-based therapies for HF, HF-related mortality trends have increased over the past decade. To combat this worldwide epidemic, care must evolve so that preventive recommendations are not siloed from HF management. Prevention must be prioritized more broadly, not only in the early detection and deterrence of HF but across a patient’s lifespan in conjunction with therapeutic intervention. Members of the Heart Failure Society of America and the American Society for Preventive Cardiology created this joint Societal Scientific Statement on the Prevention of Heart Failure to emphasize the links between cardiovascular disease prevention and HF and offer a conceptual roadmap along which to consider all aspects of preventive care. This includes primary prevention to reduce the burden of HF, secondary prevention to reduce the impact of HF among those with an established diagnosis of HF, and tertiary prevention, which encompasses the management of risk factors in patients who require advanced therapies, including durable mechanical circulatory support and heart transplantation.