The majority of new diagnoses of heart failure (HF) are made only after the patient has deteriorated to the point of requiring hospital admission. Within a month of admission with HF, 1 in 4 patients who survive to discharge will be readmitted, and 1 in 8 will die. Ischaemic heart disease is the most common cause of HF, accounting for at least half of diagnoses: following a heart attack, 1 in 3 patients will develop HF within 5 years. Hypertension, diabetes and obesity are also associated with an increased risk of HF.