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AHA/ACC/ESC/WHF Expert Consensus Document in Collaboration with HFSA, HFA and JHFS: Second Universal Definition of Heart Failure (2026)
professional.heart.org • • general
Key Points:
- In 2021, multiple cardiac societies issued the First Universal Definition of Heart Failure (HF), introducing uniform terminology and a Stage B (pre-HF) to identify individuals at risk.
- The increasing diversity of HF phenotypes, need for precise diagnosis, and ongoing care disparities prompted the development of the Second Universal Definition of HF.
- The updated definition, created collaboratively by major global heart organizations, refines HF staging with clearer criteria focused on early detection and personalized risk reduction.
- It also introduces a universal classification of HF causes, explicitly recognizing geographic variations in etiology.
