Nationwide Struggle in India: STAR Hospitals Introduce Special Heart Failure Clinic to Combat 8-10 Million Instances of Heart Failure
India is grappling with a growing crisis of heart failure cases, with an estimated 8-10 million people currently living with the condition and 1.8 million new cases diagnosed annually. Unlike in Western countries, heart failure in India often affects individuals a decade earlier, typically in their 50s and 60s, at the peak of their working lives. This demographic shift has significant social and economic impacts, as the majority of affected patients are men, many of whom are family breadwinners.
The leading causes of heart failure in India include ischemic heart disease, dilated cardiomyopathy, and rheumatic heart disease, which disproportionately affect younger adults and progress more rapidly than in other regions. This has resulted in in-hospital and one-year mortality rates nearly twice as high as global averages.
Recognising the urgent need for targeted intervention, institutions like Star Hospitals in Hyderabad have launched dedicated Heart Failure Clinics. These clinics are designed to provide structured, multidisciplinary care that addresses the unique challenges posed by India’s heart failure epidemic.
The STAR Heart Failure Clinic, recently launched in Hyderabad, offers comprehensive diagnostics, guideline-directed medical therapy, daycare infusion, cardiac rehabilitation, lifestyle support, evaluation for advanced therapy, and long-term follow-up. The clinic aims to prevent deaths, improve quality of life, and reduce re-hospitalizations among heart failure patients. It is poised to serve not only Telangana and Andhra Pradesh but also patients across India.
Dr. Ramesh Gudapati, a cardiologist at the STAR Heart Failure Clinic, emphasised the need for dedicated heart failure clinics that offer patient education, structured follow-up, and multidisciplinary care to improve outcomes for Indian heart failure patients. Dr. Suresh Yerra shared stories of patients who, after receiving a transplant, returned to their families, careers, and passions, highlighting the life-changing impact of timely, structured care.
For end-stage heart failure patients, a heart transplant can be a life-restoring miracle, offering a renewed lease on life when all other treatments have failed. However, in India, approximately 50,000 patients each year need a heart transplant, yet only a tiny fraction receive it. The clinic aims to bridge this care gap, as national data shows that only 25-47% of Indian patients currently receive guideline-recommended heart failure therapies.
Dr. Jagadeesh Babu Karusala highlighted the importance of early diagnosis in heart failure management, stating that timely, accurate diagnosis is the gateway to effective interventions. Dr. Gopichand Mannam, Managing Director of STAR Hospitals Group, Hyderabad, stated that India's heart failure landscape is complex and urgent, with patients typically presenting a decade earlier than in the West.
Heart failure in India is a major public health challenge, driven by rising prevalence of coronary artery disease, hypertension, and diabetes. Despite these advances, significant challenges remain: low access to guideline-recommended care, high mortality rates, and the risk factor burden, particularly in urban centers like Hyderabad.
To truly curb the epidemic, these efforts must be scaled nationally, with a focus on increasing access to guideline-directed care and addressing the root causes of cardiovascular disease in the Indian population. The establishment of specialized heart failure clinics in India marks a critical step in addressing a growing national health crisis. By offering early diagnosis, structured therapy, advanced interventions, and ongoing support, these clinics aim to improve survival rates and quality of life for millions of Indians.
- The growing crisis of heart failure cases in India, affecting individuals a decade earlier compared to Western countries, calls for targeted interventions like the STAR Heart Failure Clinic in Hyderabad.
- This dedicated heart failure clinic aims to prevent deaths, improve quality of life, and reduce re-hospitalizations among heart failure patients, not just in Telangana and Andhra Pradesh, but across India.
- End-stage heart failure patients, for whom all other treatments have failed, can find a life-restoring miracle in a heart transplant, yet only a tiny fraction of the approximately 50,000 annual patients in India receive one.
- To truly curb the heart failure epidemic in India, efforts must be scaled nationally, with a focus on increasing access to guideline-directed care and addressing the root causes of cardiovascular disease.
- Recognizing the unique challenges posed by India’s heart failure epidemic, these specialized clinics offer comprehensive diagnostics, structured care, and ongoing support to improve outcomes for Indian heart failure patients.
- Heart failure in India is a complex and urgent public health challenge, driven by rising prevalence of coronary artery disease, hypertension, and diabetes, and requires a comprehensive approach to health and wellness, including education, medical-conditions management, and chronic-disease care.
