OBJECTIVES : Hypertension is one of the most important modifiable risk factor for the development of heart failure. The aim of our study was to determine the epidemiological disease burden of hypertensive heart disease with heart failure.

METHODS : Data were derived from the financial database of the Hungarian National Health Insurance Fund Administration (NHIFA), for the year 2018. Data analysed included annual patient numbers, case numbers and prevalence of hypertensive heart disease with heart failure per 100,000 population according to age groups and sex. The following health insurance treatment categories were included into our study: general practice care, home care, in- and outpatient care, medical imaging, laboratory diagnostics, drugs and medical aids. Patients with hypertensive heart disease with heart failure were identified with the following code of the International Classification of Diseases 10^th revision: I110.

RESULTS : The highest national patient numbers were in general practice care: 6,337 men and 9,163 women, in total 15,500 patients, followed by the use of pharmaceuticals (4,924 men and 7,165 women, in total 12,089 patients), and outpatient care (2,574 men and 3,186 women, in total 5,760 patients). Based on patient numbers with regards to pharmaceuticals, prevalence in 100,000 among men was 105.4 patients, among women 140.3 patients, in total 123.6. As regards sex distribution, in general practice care 40.9% of patients were men and 59.1% were women, in the use of pharmaceuticals, 40.7% of patients were men, 59.3% were women, in outpatient care 44.7% were men, 55.3% were women.

CONCLUSIONS : Prevalence of hypertensive heart disease with heart failure was 1.33 times higher among women than among men. Prevention is crucial in avoiding the development of this disease.