Heart failure is a chronic condition that significantly impacts the quality of life of those affected. For this reason, Santé Publique France is tasked with monitoring the epidemiology of heart failure and preventing it.

Epidemiological Surveillance of Heart Failure

Santé Publique France has established a heart failure surveillance program based on medical-administrative data as well as the “Handicap Santé Ménages” and “Handicap Santé Institution” self-reporting surveys, which enable the estimation of the prevalence of heart failure in France in 2008–2009 and the description of its functional impact.

Prevention of Heart Failure

As part of its prevention mission, Santé Publique France provides information and recommends appropriate preventive measures, such as lifestyle and dietary changes to reduce the risk of heart failure or recurrence. These measures are important for patients with heart failure to maintain, particularly reducing salt intake.

• Information for the General Public

Santé Publique France provides the general public with several websites outlining the lifestyle and dietary guidelines to follow to prevent the risk of heart failure and, above all, the risk of acute decompensation in patients who are already ill. These websites promote a varied and balanced diet, regular physical activity, reducing sedentary behavior, and quitting smoking. 

• Information for healthcare professionals

Drawing on its heart failure surveillance program, Santé publique France has published several articles in the Weekly Epidemiological Bulletin reporting epidemiological data on hospitalizations and mortality related to heart failure, as well as a summary sheet in the report “Health Status of the Population in France.”