Causes of heart failure:
- Coronary artery disease (60–70%)
- High blood pressure (20–30%)
- Cardiomyopathies (5–10%)
- Valvular heart disease (<10%)
- Congenital heart defects (<2%)
Facts and figures on heart failure in Valais and Switzerland:
- In French-speaking Switzerland, it is estimated that between 25,000 and 30,000 people suffer from heart failure, of whom approximately 6,000 are in Valais (one third of whom are in the advanced stage, NYHA class 3–4).
- Each year, around 400 patients are treated at the Valais Hospital for a first episode of cardiac decompensation.
- Each year, approximately 18,000 people die in Switzerland from heart failure.
- 80% of patients with heart failure are over 65 years of age.
The care pathway for heart failure was launched at the start of 2021 to standardise the management of patients with this condition across the various departments of the CHVR, particularly internal medicine and cardiology. The aim of this care pathway is also to ensure a continuum of care between hospitalisation and the return home of patients admitted for cardiac decompensation. Outpatient follow-up is temporary and comprises three consultations after the patient returns home, pending a follow-up visit with the cardiologist or the patient’s GP. Dr Raluca ALEXE is primarily responsible for this service. At each visit, the patient will undergo clinical and laboratory assessment, with the ongoing aim of optimising treatment, minimising side effects, educating the patient on how to better manage their condition on a daily basis, and preventing further hospital admissions. Following these three visits, the patient will be managed by their GP or cardiologist.
