New cases of heart failures declining, study finds

A study that looked at the number of new cases of heart failures in Ontario over a decade suggests the rates of incidence have dropped.

The study, published today in the Canadian Medical Journal, found a 32.7 per cent decline in the number of patients diagnosed with heart failure in Ontario between 1997 and 2008-an average annual decline of three per cent.

Dr. Jack Tu of Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre said the drop is in line with declines recently observed across Canada and in other countries.

The study does not directly attribute specific reasons for the decline, but Tu said drops in smoking rates and better hypertension control are likely factors that have affected the number of new cases in Ontario.

Older patients, particularly those over the age of 85, showed the greatest decline among all age groups, but the study cautions that younger people are the ones who will determine future trends.

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