Heart Failure Awareness Week mobilizes communities across the U.S. every second week of February, running from February 8 to 14 in 2026. This vital observance is dedicated to spreading crucial knowledge about heart failure, its risk factors, and effective prevention strategies. Take this week to educate yourself, support advocacy efforts, and champion heart health.
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Expected Heart Failure Awareness Week Deals
Heart Failure Awareness Week focuses on advocacy and fundraising rather than commercial deals, with many organizations hosting events to raise critical funds for research and patient support. Organizations like the American Heart Association and the Heart Failure Society of America will lead awareness campaigns, often partnering with corporate sponsors for donation matching programs or special merchandise sales. Look for opportunities to participate in virtual walks, educational webinars, and social media challenges. Retailers like CVS Health and Walgreens may offer free health screenings or discounts on heart-healthy products, while brands such as Philips Healthcare and Medtronic highlight their innovations in cardiac care. We will update this page with confirmed live events and fundraising initiatives as February approaches.
Platform Guide for Heart Failure Awareness Week
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Mention @NatlToday and use #HeartFailureAwarenessWeek. Share educational infographics, patient stories, and links to reliable health resources.
Mention National Today (facebook.com/nationaltoday) and use #HeartFailureAwarenessWeek. Host live Q&A sessions with medical professionals or share personal testimonials.
Tag @nationaltoday_ and use #HeartFailureAwarenessWeek. Create visually engaging content like short videos on prevention tips or ‘myth vs. fact’ carousels.
Heart Failure Awareness Week Hero
Eugene Braunwald
History of Heart Failure Awareness Week
Heart Failure Awareness Week is observed in the second week of February, precisely in the week of Valentine’s Day. The week was approved by the U.S. Senate in 2000 and has been sponsored by the Heart Failure Society of America (H.F.S.A.) since then. With heart disease being the leading cause of death for Americans, H.F.S.A. aims to significantly reduce the scourge of heart failure across the U.S.
Heart failure is a serious condition where the heart pumps blood inefficiently, leading to a shortage of blood supply around the parts of the body at the right pressure. This usually occurs when the heart muscle gets too stiff or weak to work properly. Over 200,000 cases of congestive heart failure are recorded every year in the U.S. Also, heart failure is one of the most common diagnoses in hospital patients aged 65 and above. Globally, there are over 23 million people diagnosed with heart failure.
Some common symptoms of heart failure include abnormally fast heartbeats, breathlessness, feeling tired all of the time, swelling in the hands and/or feet, chest pain, persistent cough producing blood with mucus, and loss of appetite. In the case of acute heart failure, these symptoms develop more rapidly, while they gradually develop in chronic heart failure.
While the statistics are quite discouraging, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (C.D.C.) says that 80% of cardiovascular diseases including heart failure can be prevented by minimizing the risk factors. The risk factors for heart failure may include alcohol and tobacco use, diabetes, obesity, high blood pressure, and sleep apnea. On a more positive note, new therapies to treat patients with heart failure have been in development recently.
Heart Failure Awareness Week timeline
Pharaoh Merneptah, who had atherosclerosis (narrowing of the arteries), dies in Egypt.
Daniel Hale Williams, a Black cardiologist, performs the first successful open-heart surgery on a stabbed patient.
40-year-old Arne Larsson receives the first implantable pacemaker in Stockholm, Sweden on October 8.
A surgeon, Professor Christiaan Barnard, performs the world's first successful human-to-human heart transplant in Cape Town, South Africa, on December 3.
How Businesses Can Celebrate Heart Failure Awareness Week
Local businesses can play a crucial role in Heart Failure Awareness Week by promoting heart health among their employees and customers. Pharmacies and health clinics can offer free blood pressure screenings and distribute educational materials. Restaurants might feature heart-healthy menu options throughout the week, highlighting their nutritional benefits. Fitness centers could host special workshops on cardiovascular exercise or offer discounted memberships to encourage active lifestyles. Consider partnering with local heart health organizations for donation drives or awareness events.
Heart Failure Awareness Week FAQs
When is Heart Failure Awareness Week?
In 2027, Heart Failure Awareness Week will be observed from Sunday, February 14, through Saturday, February 20. This annual observance consistently falls in the second full week of February.
How many Americans are affected by heart failure?
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimates that over 6 million Americans are currently affected by heart failure, with nearly half of those diagnosed dying within five years. These statistics underscore the urgency of this awareness campaign.
What are the common risk factors for heart failure?
The primary risk factors for developing heart failure involve chronic conditions like hypertension, diabetes, and previous heart attacks. Age, genetics, and unhealthy habits such as smoking and poor diet also contribute to increasing one’s susceptibility.
What is the difference between a heart attack and heart failure?
While often confused, a heart attack is an acute event where blood supply to the heart is cut off, whereas heart failure is a long-term condition indicating the heart’s inability to effectively circulate blood. A heart attack can sometimes lead to heart failure.
How to Observe Heart Failure Awareness Week
Adopt a healthier lifestyle
Risk factors like obesity, alcohol and tobacco abuse, and high blood pressure can increase the probability of having heart failure or worsen the condition in patients. Hence, it’s better to quit smoking, maintain a healthy diet and stay physically active, maintain a healthy weight, control your cholesterol and blood pressure, and manage stress.
Visit the clinic
If you’ve been diagnosed with heart failure, it’s important to visit the clinic and meet with your cardiologist this week for a checkup. Your doctor will also be able to offer expert recommendations about how to manage the condition and live longer.
Join the campaign on social media
If your local clinic will be organizing a special heart health awareness program during this week, join them in the week-long event. You can also join the social media campaign with the hashtag #HFWeek.
5 INTERESTING FACTS ABOUT THE HEART
Heart attacks on Christmas Day
The highest number of heart attacks happen each year on Christmas Day, followed by the day after Christmas and New Year's Day.
It’s so “bloody” in there
The heart pumps approximately 1.5 gallons of blood every minute — that’s over 2,000 gallons every day!
Heartbeats per day
Your heart will beat about 115,000 times each day!
A woman’s heartbeat
While a man’s heart is typically two ounces heavier than a woman’s, the average heartbeat of a woman is about eight beats a minute faster than a man’s heartbeat.
Blood vessels circling Earth
There are 60,000 miles of blood vessels in your body — enough to circle the world twice!
Why Heart Failure Awareness Week is Important
It raises awareness about heart failure
Statistics about heart failure are quite scary. About five million Americans are presently living with congestive heart failure (C.H.F.), and an average of 550,000 new cases are diagnosed each year in the U.S. C.H.F. affects everyone from all ages, children, young adults, the middle-aged, and the elderly, and about 287,000 deaths annually are attributed to the condition. This is why H.F.S.A. continues to sensitize the public about heart failure during this week.
It promotes innovations in heart health
Over the years, private organizations and stakeholders in the health sector have collaborated with H.F.S.A. to promote awareness activities about heart failure. Much more, they also recommend ways to live longer with the condition, while recommending regular checkups and sharing innovations about heart failure treatment and diagnosis.
It encourages healthy living
Heart failure can be managed and prevented by adopting a healthy lifestyle and reducing the risk factors. Through a healthy diet, an active lifestyle, and regular medical checkups, the risk of heart failure can be minimized and managed. During this week, those already diagnosed with heart failure can get expert advice about how to manage the condition, and others can learn preventive measures to avoid the condition.
Heart Failure Awareness Week dates
| Year | Date | Day |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | February 9–15 | Sunday–Saturday |
| 2026 | February 8–14 | Sunday–Saturday |
| 2027 | February 14–20 | Sunday–Saturday |
| 2028 | February 13–19 | Sunday–Saturday |
| 2029 | February 11–17 | Sunday–Saturday |
Social Media Tips for Heart Failure Awareness Week
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