Heart Failure Stages
Topic Overview
The American College of Cardiology and the American Heart Association have devised a classification system for heart failure . It categorizes heart failure based on how the disease progresses in most people. Under this system, heart failure is classified by stages A through D. footnote 1
Stage | Definition | Examples |
---|---|---|
A | Person is at high risk for developing heart failure. But there is no structural disorder of the heart. | Person has high blood pressure , coronary artery disease , diabetes , a history of substance use disorder , a personal history of rheumatic fever , or a family history of cardiomyopathy. |
B | Person has a structural disorder of the heart. But the person has never had 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. Symptoms are linked with underlying structural heart disease. | Person has shortness of breath or fatigue caused by structural heart disease. Or the person does not have symptoms and is getting treatment for prior symptoms of heart failure. |
D | Person has end-stage disease. He or she needs specialized treatment strategies. | Person is often hospitalized for heart failure or cannot be safely discharged from the hospital. Or the person is in the hospital waiting for a heart transplant. Or the person is at home getting continuous intravenous support for symptom relief or being supported with a mechanical circulatory assistive device. Or the person is in a hospice setting for the management of heart failure. |
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Current as of: December 16, 2019
Author: Healthwise Staff
Medical Review: Rakesh K. Pai MD, FACC - Cardiology, Electrophysiology
E. Gregory Thompson MD - Internal Medicine
Martin J. Gabica MD - Family Medicine
Adam Husney MD - Family Medicine
Stephen Fort MD, MRCP, FRCPC - Interventional Cardiology
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Current as of: December 16, 2019
Author: Healthwise Staff
Medical Review: Rakesh K. Pai MD, FACC - Cardiology, Electrophysiology & E. Gregory Thompson MD - Internal Medicine & Martin J. Gabica MD - Family Medicine & Adam Husney MD - Family Medicine & Stephen Fort MD, MRCP, FRCPC - Interventional Cardiology