Heart Failure Diagnosis in the General Community - Who, How and When? A clinical consensus statement of the Heart Failure Association (HFA) of the ESC

: 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-utilised. This clinical consensus statement provides a diagnostic framework for general practitioners and non-cardiology community-based physicians to recognise, investigate and risk-stratify patients presenting in the community with possible heart failure. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.