Chronic heart failure, most frequently resulting from coronary artery disease or hypertension, is a debilitating condition in which the heart’s ability to function as a pump is impaired. Patients with heart failure experience a continuing decline in their health, resulting in an increased frequency of hospitalization and premature death. In North America alone, heart failure affects more than five million people and is associated with more than 300,000 deaths each year. The direct healthcare cost, primarily resulting from hospitalization, is estimated to exceed $30 billion annually. These statistics suggest that important pathological mechanisms, including inflammation, remain active and unmodified by the available therapies, particularly when the disease has reached advanced stages.

For additional information, please visit the following Web sites:

• American College of Cardiology
• American Heart Association
• British Heart Foundation
• European Society of Cardiology
• Heart Failure Society of America
• Heart and Stroke Foundation of Canada
• Irish Heart Foundation