Heart failure itself is not considered a disease. Rather, heart failure is the product of another condition that has damaged the heart muscle. Thus, the development of heart failure is intimately connected to the prevalence of other cardiac diseases. Also, as medical technology advances and allows people to live longer and survive severe heart conditions such as coronary artery disease (CAD), the prevalence of heart failure is rising. Today, the American Heart Association estimates that nearly five million Americans have heart disease and more than half a million new cases are diagnosed every year.

Comparing the incidence and course of heart failure between Caucasian and black Americans is provocative. Studies have found that, in Caucasian patients, heart failure most often occurs as a result of CAD, such that CAD develops directly into systolic heart failure. Black Americans, however, tend to progress more gradually from hypertension (high blood pressure), to heart wall thickening, to diastolic heart failure and finally to systolic heart failure. Statistics also show black American heart failure patients to be younger and more likely female, as compared to Caucasian patients. In addition, black Americans with heart failure are more likely to be diagnosed with hypertension and diabetes. While some studies have shown that black Americans have higher heart failure mortality rates than whites, other studies have shown similar survival rates between the two racial groups. The reasons for these differences are still being investigated.

Research has uncovered a significant difference in the way heart failure appears in older patients, according to a study sponsored by the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute. The Cardiovascular Health Study examined the rates and types of heart failure found in more than 5,800 individuals age 65 and over. Incidences of heart failure were greater among men in the trial than women and increased progressively with age. In addition, heart failure rates were higher among patients with a history of diabetes, atrial fibrillation (a heart rhythm disorder) or mild kidney failure.

Some studies have also suggested a genetic link for heart failure. Children born to parents with heart failure may have a higher risk of developing the condition themselves. However, additional research is necessary to determine the exact relationship between genetics and heart failure.