Definition of Heart Failure

To guide applicants for the Innovation and Education Funds, we have prepared a definition of heart failure and the scope of work that we intend to support at the Ted Rogers Centre for Heart Research:

The AHA defines heart failure as “a chronic, progressive condition in which the heart muscle is unable to pump enough blood through to meet the body’s needs for blood and oxygen.”

Heart failure can result from heart muscle disease (dilated cardiomyopathy, hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, drug-induced cardiomyopathy, and myocarditis), valvular defects, coronary artery disease, myocardial infarction, hypertension, congenital heart defects, severe lung disease, and complications from diabetes and obesity.

The Centre welcomes applications that employ scientific approaches that can improve our understanding of heart failure and lead to better approaches towards prediction, prevention and treatment of heart failure including studies in engineering, basic science, ‎clinical science, health services research, population health or combinations of the above. The ultimate goal is that Centre-funded projects have a positive impact on heart failure.