Globally, more than 64 million people are affected by HF [1]. The estimated prevalence of HF is 1 % to 3 % in Europe and 2.1 % in the USA [2,3]. The estimated incidence is 1 to 4 cases per 1000 person-years in Europe and 6.0 to 7.9 cases per 1000 person-years after 45 years of age in the USA [2,3]. Approximately 50 % of patients with HF have preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF) [4]. Prognosis of HFpEF is poor, with an annual mortality rate approaching 15 % in observational studies and ranging from 4.2 % to approximately 8 % in randomized clinical trials [4–6].
