The survival rate for patients treated for congestive heart failure (CHF) at Bridgeport Hospital is the best in Connecticut, according to new data posted on the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services’ (CMS) Hospital Compare website.

Bridgeport Hospital is one of only four hospitals in the state, and the only one in Fairfield County, that performs better than the national rate in this important patient care quality measure. Bridgeport Hospital’s CHF survival rate is 91.1 percent, compared with the national rate of 88.9 percent.

“This is a testament to the skill of our cardiologists and other members of our healthcare team, and to the fact that we adhere to the highest standards of care for our patients,” says Stuart Zarich, MD, Bridgeport Hospital’s Chief of Cardiology.

The leading cause of hospitalization in the United States, CHF is a condition in which the heart cannot pump enough oxygenated blood to meet the needs of the body’s other organs. The heart keeps pumping, but not as efficiently as a healthy heart. Usually, the loss in the heart’s pumping action is a symptom of an underlying heart problem.

According to the American Heart Association, CHF affects 5.7 million people nationwide and 670,000 new cases are diagnosed each year.

Treatment for CHF ranges from controlling risk factors to medication, the use of an implantable pacemaker, defibrillator or ventricular assist device (VAD) and, in extreme cases, a heart transplant.

This year’s CMS posting reflects three years of data (July 1, 2005–June 30, 2008) and not just a single year as in the past. CMS says using three years of data provides a clearer picture of how hospitals are performing.

For more information about the causes, symptoms and treatment of heart failure and heart attack, visit the Health & Wellness section of the Bridgeport Hospital website, www.bridgeporthospital.org, select “H” from the “View all Conditions” menu and click on “Heart Failure (Cardiovascular).”

The Heart Institute at Bridgeport Hospital provides a comprehensive array of diagnostic and treatment services including angioplasty, cardiac surgery, sophisticated heart-rhythm care and cardiac rehabilitation and wellness programs.