Heart failure (HF) is rising fast, and without early, aggressive treatment, thousands of Filipinos remain at risk.
This was how a group of HF experts opened the PHA National HF Network session during the Philippine Heart Association (PHA) Preconvention on May 27, 2025 at Edsa Shangri-La Manila in this City.
Heart failure occurs when the heart cannot pump enough blood to meet the body’s needs. It now affects more than 64 million people worldwide, with 1–3 percent of adults living with the condition—and the numbers are increasing.
Dr. Felix Punzalan stressed that many patients with HF cycle in and out of hospitals, with 30–40 percent having been previously hospitalized.
Mortality rates are alarming: 4–12 percent die in the hospital, and up to 30 percent die within a year. Rehospitalizations are frequent—25 percent return in 30 days, and over half are back within six months.
Punzalan emphasized the importance of transitional care—starting essential heart medications before discharge and ensuring close follow-up within a week.
“These life-saving drugs—RAAS inhibitors, beta blockers, MRAs, and SGLT2 inhibitors—can reduce deaths and keep patients out of the hospital when started early and increased to the right dose over time,” he said.
This approach is backed by the 2023 European Heart Failure Guidelines and the Philippine Clinical Practice Guidelines, which both recommend early initiation and up-titration of treatment.
Beyond medicine, the PHA is also studying the real-life challenges of Filipino patients—from the cost of care and access to specialists, due to poverty, lack of awareness about treatment outcomes.
HF does not have to be a death sentence, doctors say. With early treatment, regular monitoring, and community support, many patients can live longer, fuller lives.
The PHA urged families with heart and hypertension issues to stay alert to symptoms like fatigue, swollen legs, and shortness of breath—and to support loved ones in staying on medication and attending follow-up visits.
As the convention continues, the PHA calls for a united response: stronger primary care, nationwide awareness, and a health system that supports every Filipino heart.
Dr. Felix Eduardo Punzalan
Drs. Orlando Bugarin, Erlyn Demerre, Felix Eduardo Punzalan, Nathania Fajardo, Jonathan James Bernardo, Rochelle Regina Cruz, Glen Rose Advincula, Merla Reyes, Ronaldo Munar (HF patient), and Ruth Divine Agustin.
