This study characterizes heart failure patients who attended the University Hospital Würzburg. The primary aim is a better understanding of the relationships and differences between the subgroups HFrEF (EF < 40%), HFmrEF (EF 40-49%), and HFpEF (EF>50%), contributing to an improved diagnosis, prognosis and therapy of patients with heart failure.

The varying clinical picture of heart failure (HF) represents a major challenge for patient care in Germany. HF is one of the most common reasons for hospitalization in the Western world. In the chronic course of heart failure, affected patients are committed to morbidity, lifelong therapy and high risk of cardiac decompensation, also associated with high mortality.

Heart failure patients, who visited the Cardiology Department of the University Hospital Wuerzburg, shall be analyzed with regard to all clinical data and outcome. This retrospective work should help to better understand the three groups HFrEF (EF < 40%), HFmrEF (EF 40-49%) and HFpEF (EF>50%) and help identifying similarities and differences between the groups.

Hereby we hope for progress in diagnostic, prognostic and therapeutic aspects of heart failure.

Inclusion Criteria:

• Diagnosis: Heart failure
• Minimum of two echocardiographic examinations in a minimum time frame of six months
• Patients must have reached the age of 18

Our cohort consists of patients who attended the Cardiology Department of University Hospital Wuerzburg in the time period between 2009 and 2019.