Epidemiologic study is essential to improve management and outcomes in patients hospitalized for heart failure (HF). The academic and socioeconomic status can be clarified by epidemiologic study, and the unsolved issues can be realized. Based on results from epidemiologic studies, strategies to improve the present status could be considered. This article describes several key issues to conduct and interpret an epidemiologic study, for example, definition of HF, time frame, ethnicity, and site selection. Furthermore, assessments and evaluations that are based on comparisons with Western or other Asian data can give a clue to solve the present issues regarding HF management.
Keywords: Ethnicity; Guideline-directed medical therapy; Hospitalized heart failure; Mortality; Site selection; Time frame.
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