Heart failure research in China: current status and future direction

Heart failure is a major public health problem worldwide. Despite advances in the therapy and care of heart failure, morbidity and mortality remain persistently high. Recent years have witnessed major breakthroughs in the investigations of pathogenesis, prevention, and treatment of heart failure in China. It is noteworthy that the continuing and growing support from funding agencies in China including the National Natural Science Foundation of China has yielded substantial effects on the basic and clinical research in heart failure in the last decade. In this review, we provide an update on the current status of heart failure research, both basic and translational/clinical, in China, including funding and publications. We also discuss the future challenges and possible strategies in improving our understanding and management of heart failure in China.