Almanac 2011: Heart Failure. The National Society Journals Present Selected Research that has Driven Recent Advances in Clinical Cardiology

The national heart failure audit1 in England and Wales continues to grow and provides vital data for planning heart failure services. The first formal report relates to over 6000 patients who were the first 10 patients admitted with a primary diagnosis of heart failure each month to one of 86 hospitals contributing data in 2008–09. Most had left ventricular systolic dysfunction, but an echocardiogram result was available in only 75%. In-patient mortality was 12% and in survivors, 80% were receiving an ACE inhibitor (or angiotensin receptor blocker (ARB)), 50% a β blocker and 30% an aldosterone antagonist at discharge