Heart failure diagnosis in the general community – Who, how and when? A clinical consensus statement of the Heart Failure Association (HFA) of the European Society of Cardiology (ESC)

Abstract

A significant proportion of patients experience delays in the diagnosis of heart failure due to the non‐specific signs and symptoms of the syndrome. Diagnostic tools such as measurement of natriuretic peptide concentrations are fundamentally important when screening for heart failure, yet are frequently under‐utilized. This clinical consensus statement provides a diagnostic framework for general practitioners and non‐cardiology community‐based physicians to recognize, investigate and risk‐stratify patients presenting in the community with possible heart failure.