Heart Failure Stages
Topic Overview
The American College of Cardiology and the American Heart
Association have devised a classification system for
heart failure that categorizes heart failure based on
the progression of the disease that occurs in most people. Under this system,
heart failure is classified by stages A through D.1
Stages of heart failure Stage | Definition | Examples |
|---|
| A | Person is at high risk for developing heart
failure but has no structural disorder of the heart. | Person has
high blood pressure,
coronary artery disease,
diabetes, a history of
drug or alcohol abuse, a personal history of
rheumatic fever, or a
family history of
cardiomyopathy. |
| B | Person has a structural disorder of the heart
but has never developed symptoms of heart failure. | Person has structural changes to the left
ventricle, has heart valve disease, or has had a
heart attack. |
| C | Person has past or current symptoms of heart
failure associated with underlying structural heart disease. | Person has shortness of breath or fatigue
caused by left ventricular systolic dysfunction or is without symptoms and is
receiving treatment for prior symptoms of heart failure. |
| D | Person has end-stage disease and requires
specialized treatment strategies. | Person is frequently hospitalized for heart
failure or cannot be safely discharged from the hospital; person is in the
hospital awaiting a heart transplant; person is at home receiving continuous
intravenous support for symptom relief or being supported with a mechanical
circulatory assistive device; or person is in a
hospice setting for the management of heart
failure. |
References
Citations
- Hunt SA, et al. (2009). 2009 focused update
incorporated into the ACC/AHA 2005 guidelines for the diagnosis and management
of heart failure in adults. A report of the American College of Cardiology
Foundation/American Heart Association Task Force on Practice Guidelines.
Circulation, 119(14): e391–e479.
Credits
| By | Healthwise Staff |
|---|
| Primary Medical Reviewer | Rakesh K. Pai, MD, FACC - Cardiology, Electrophysiology |
|---|
| Specialist Medical Reviewer | Stephen Fort, MD, MRCP, FRCPC - Interventional Cardiology |
|---|
| Last Revised | April 26, 2012 |
|---|
Last Revised:
April 26, 2012
Hunt SA, et al. (2009). 2009 focused update
incorporated into the ACC/AHA 2005 guidelines for the diagnosis and management
of heart failure in adults. A report of the American College of Cardiology
Foundation/American Heart Association Task Force on Practice Guidelines.
Circulation, 119(14): e391–e479.
