Studies of the incidence of heart failure are scarce and different studies use different methods, particularly for diagnosing the condition. The Hillingdon Heart Failure Study used a combination of clinical assessment, echocardiography and radiography to diagnose heart failure in the study population and adhered to European Society of Cardiology guidelines for its definition of heart failure. The study found a crude incidence rate of 140 per 100,000 for men and 120 per 100,000 for women.

From the age-specific incidence rates we estimate that there are about 38,000 new cases of heart failure in men in the UK each year and about 30,000 in women giving a total of about 68,000.

The incidence of heart failure increases steeply in the elderly and is more common in men than in women.