Congestive heart failure has become an increasingly frequent reason for hospital admission
during the last 2 decades and clearly represents a major health problem. Data from the
Framingham Heart Study indicate that the incidence of congestive heart failure increases
with age and is higher in men than in women. Hypertension and coronary heart disease are
the two most common conditions predating its onset. Diabetes mellitus and
electrocardiographic left ventricular hypertrophy are also associated with an increased risk …