• Leah Rethy, Lucia C Petito, Thanh Huyen T Vu, Kiarri Kershaw, Rupal Mehta, Nilay S Shah, Mercedes R Carnethon, Clyde W Yancy, Donald M Lloyd-Jones, and Sadiya S Khan.
• Division of Cardiology, Department of Preventative Medicine, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, Illinois.
• JAMA Cardiol. 2020 Dec 1; 5 (12): 1425-1429.

ImportanceDespite recent advances in therapies for heart failure (HF), deaths from HF are increasing, with persistent disparities between Black and White adults. Recent national trends in the prevalence of HF need to be clarified to appropriately allocate resources and develop effective preventive interventions.ObjectivesTo examine the prevalence of ambulatory HF overall and by race/ethnicity and age and the temporal changes in HF prevalence between 2001 and 2016.Design, Setting, And ParticipantsThis cross-sectional study of nationally representative data collected biennially through the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) from January 1, 2001, to December 31, 2016, assessed nonpregnant adults 35 years and older who self-identified as non-Hispanic Black, non-Hispanic White, or Mexican American. Data analysis was performed from November 16, 2019, to April 12, 2020.ExposuresSurvey period, race/ethnicity, and age group.Main Outcomes And MeasuresAge-standardized prevalence was calculated within 4-year survey periods (2001-2004, 2005-2008, 2009-2012, and 2013-2016) based on self-report of ambulatory HF overall and by race/ethnicity and age group (35-64 and ≥65 years). Weighted multivariable logistic regression was used to examine trends in ambulatory HF prevalence over time by race/ethnicity and age group.ResultsA total of 26 097 participants (mean [SD] age, 55.9 [10.7] years; 13 192 [52%] female; 6519 [12%] non-Hispanic Black; and 4906 [7%] Mexican American) were studied. Overall age-standardized prevalence (per 100 000 population) of ambulatory HF was 3184 (95% CI, 2641-3728) from 2001 to 2005 and 3045 (95% CI, 2651-3438) from 2013 to 2016. The prevalence of ambulatory HF was highest among non-Hispanic Black adults: from 2013 to 2016, HF prevalence (per 100 000 population) was 5017 (95% CI, 3755-6279) among non-Hispanic Black adults, 2746 (95% CI, 2313-3179) among non-Hispanic White adults, and 2508 (95% CI, 1154-3862) among Mexican American adults. Differences between White and Black adults in HF prevalence were also present in younger and middle-aged adults (eg, 35-64 years of age in 2013-2016: 3864 [95% CI, 2369-5359] for non-Hispanic Black adults vs 1297 [95% CI, 878-1716] for non-Hispanic White adults).Conclusions And RelevanceThis study found that a high burden of ambulatory HF persisted between 2001 and 2016 in the US. Disparities were most prominent by age group. Alongside prevention and aggressive management of risk factors, targeted efforts aimed at mitigating racial disparities are needed.

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