Heart
Here you will find analyses of geographical variation in the use of health services related to the heart.
Here you will find analyses of geographical variation in the use of health services related to the heart.
Number of patients with consultations for heart failure per 1,000 inhabitants, 75 years and older
The number of patients increased from 4,700 in 2015 to 10,200 in 2024, representing more than a doubling over the period. During the same period, the number of people in Norway aged 75 and over increased by approximately 35%.
There is significant geographical variation in patient rates in 2024. The lowest rate is in the Innlandet catchment area, with 12.5 patients per 1,000 inhabitants, and the highest in the Sørlandet catchment area, with 30.4.
In 2022,Finnmarkssykehuset began establishing heart failure outpatient clinics. The rate for Finnmark remained between 10 and 12.4 during the period from 2015 to 2022, well below the national average. In 2023, the rate rose to 19, and in 2024 to 24—figures around the national average. While the overall development between these two points resembles that of other catchment areas, the jump in Finnmark occurred in 2023, rather than gradually over time as seen elsewhere.
Almost all catchment areas have experienced a greater increase in the number of patients than in the number of residents during the period. The exception is the catchment area for Diakonhjemmet, where the number of patients has increased by 16%, while the number of residents has grown by 50%.
The number of consultations per patient was 2.3 in 2024. This figure varied between catchment areas, from 1.7 in Førde and 1.8 in Bergen to 2.9 in Østfold and 3.5 in Lovisenberg.
There was no marked decline associated with the pandemic. For some catchment areas, rates increased; for others, they decreased.
The analysis is based on activity data from the Norwegian Patient Registry (NPR) for somatic specialist health services. The data include activity from public hospitals, private hospitals providing publicly funded services, and contracted specialists with public reimbursement agreements. Comparisons with other sources suggest that reporting to the NPR from contracted specialists may be incomplete. In this analysis, consultations from contracted specialists accounted for just under 5% of the total number of consultations in 2024.
The sample includes outpatient consultations for patients aged 75 and over with a primary diagnosis of heart failure, defined by ICD-10 codes I11.0, I13.0, I13.2, I50.0, I50.1, and I50.9.
The total number of patients receiving heart failure consultations in Norway was 20,000 in 2024. Of these, 43.5% were aged 50–74, and 5.4% were aged 0–49.
To allow for comparisons between catchment areas and over time, the rates have been adjusted for age and sex. The adjustment was carried out using the direct method, with the national population in 2023 as the reference population.
SKDE is solely responsible for the interpretation and presentation of the data provided by the NPR. FHI/NPR is not responsible for any analyses or interpretations based on the data.
Number of procedures for the implantation of pacemakers and defibrillators per 1,000 inhabitants
The number of procedures has increased by 22% over the period, from 4,300 in 2016 to 5,250 in 2024. At the same time, the rate per 1,000 inhabitants remained stable during this period. The increase in the number of procedures can therefore largely be attributed to an ageing population. For example, the number of inhabitants aged 70–79 has increased by 37%. Male patients accounted for approximately 66% of procedures in 2024. The average age for pacemaker or defibrillator implantation was 75 years in 2024.
There is considerable geographical variation in the number of procedures. Catchment areas with the highest rates performing nearly twice as many procedures per 1,000 inhabitants compared to the areas with the lowest rates.
The catchment areas for Nord-Trøndelag, St. Olav, Førde, UNN, Finnmark, and Innlandet HF consistently have low rates, while the catchment areas for OUS and Lovisenberg HF consistently have high rates.
Nationwide in 2024, nearly 75% of procedures were standard pacemakers, 14% were biventricular pacemakers (CRT), and nearly 12% were implantable cardioverter defibrillators (ICDs). While the national rate for standard pacemakers has remained stable over the period, the rate for implantable cardioverter defibrillators (ICDs) has declined, and the rate for cardiac resynchronisation therapy (CRT) has increased, except for a decrease over the past two years.
The analysis is based on activity data from the Norwegian Patient Registry (NPR) for somatic specialist healthcare services. The data includes activity in public hospitals. Data from private hospitals providing publicly funded services and contracted specialists are not included, as this treatment is only offered in public hospitals.
The sample consists of procedures with the codes FPK10A, FPK13A, FPK16A, FPK20A, FPK23A, FPK30A, FPK33A, FPK36A, or FPK40A in hospitals.
The analyses distinguish between regular pacemakers, biventricular pacemakers (CRT, cardiac resynchronization therapy) with or without defibrillator function, and implantable cardioverter-defibrillators (ICD). Regular pacemakers are defined by the procedure codes FPK10A, FPK13A, and FPK16A. Biventricular pacemakers (CRT) are defined by the procedure codes FPK20A, FPK23A, FPK36A, and FPK40A. Defibrillators (ICD) are defined by the procedure codes FPK30A and FPK33A.
Replacement and removal of pacemakers, batteries, or electrodes are not included in this analysis.
Where the patient is treated is divided into two categories:
Own HF, treated at one of the hospitals in the catchment area Other HF, treated at a hospital outside the catchment area
To compare catchment areas and between years, the rates are adjusted for gender and age. The adjustment is made using the direct method with the country's population in 2023 as the reference population.
SKDE is solely responsible for the interpretation and presentation of the data provided by NPR. FHI/NPR is not responsible for analyses or interpretations based on the data.
Number of emergency admissions for heart failure per 1,000 elderly, 75 years and older
Nationally, the number of emergency admissions for heart failure among the elderly increased from nearly 5,800 in 2015 to approximately 8,000 in 2024, an increase of 38 %. The number of emergency admissions for heart failure per 1,000 elderly also increased slightly during the period, from 14.7 in 2015 to 16.5 in 2024.
In several catchment areas, there has been significant year-to-year variation during the period from 2015 to 2024. The geographical variation has remained unchanged and relatively moderate throughout the period. In 2024, residents in the Østfold catchment area had the highest number of emergency admissions for heart failure per 1,000 elderly. The rate in the Østfold catchment area in 2024 was nearly twice as high as in the Stavanger catchment area.
The gender distribution has changed between 2015 and 2024. In 2015, 52 % of emergency admissions for heart failure among the elderly were women, while in 2024, 47 % of emergency admissions for heart failure among the elderly were women.
The analysis is based on activity data from the Norwegian Patient Register (NPR) for somatic specialist health services. The data includes activity in public hospitals and private hospitals that provide publicly funded services.
The sample consists of emergency inpatient contacts for patients aged 75 years or older, with a primary diagnosis (ICD-10) I11.0, I13.0, I13.2, I50.0, I50.1 og I50.9. To avoid systematic bias resulting from routine transfers between hospitals, transfers have been taken into account. If the admission for one hospital stay occurs less than eight hours after the discharge from a previoys stay, the two hospital stays have been combined and counted as one.
The place of treatment is divided into three categories:
In order to compare the catchment areas and between years, the rates have been adjusted for gender and age. The adjustment was done using the direct method with the countrys population in 2023 as the reference population.
SKDE is solely responsible for the interpretation and presentation of the data provided by NPR. FHI/NPR is not responsible for analyses or interpretations based on the data.
Number of consultations for heart failure per 1,000 inhabitants, 75 years and older
The number of consultations for heart failure has increased from 9,800 in 2015 to just over 23,000 in 2024, a rise of 136%. During the same period, the number of people in Norway aged 75 and older increased by approximately 30%.
In about 30% of consultations in 2024, the patient was a woman.
There is significant geographical variation in consultation rates. In the catchment areas with the highest rates, nearly three times as many consultations per 1,000 inhabitants are performed compared to those with the lowest rates. In 2024, the rate ranged from 21.9 in Førde to 88.1 in Østfold.
The rate for Finnmark remained between 12 and 17 from 2015 to 2022, lower than all other healthcare regions. In 2023, the rate increased to 67, followed by a slight decrease to 65 in 2024, placing it among the higher rates. A possible explanation for this is: "Finnmarkssykehuset startet etableringen av hjertesviktpoliklinikker i 2022, og har i dag slike klinikker i Kirkenes, Alta og Hammerfest." This quote is taken from finnmarkssykehuset.no/nyheter.
The number of consultations per patient was 2.3 in 2024. This figure varied between catchment areas, ranging from 1.7 in Førde and 1.8 in Bergen to 2.9 in Østfold and 3.5 in Lovisenberg.
There was no significant decline related to the pandemic; in some catchment areas, the number of consultations increased, while in others, it decreased.
The analysis is based on activity data from the Norwegian Patient Registry (NPR) for somatic specialist healthcare services. The data includes activity from public hospitals, private hospitals providing publicly funded services, and contracted specialists with public funding agreements. Comparisons with other sources suggest that reporting to NPR from contracted specialists is incomplete. For this analysis, consultations from contracted specialists account for just under 5% of the total number of consultations.
The sample includes outpatient consultations for patients aged 75 and older with a primary diagnosis of heart failure, defined by the ICD-10 codes I11.0, I13.0, I13.2, I50.0, I50.1, and I50.9.
Where the patient was treated is divided into three categories:
The total number of heart failure consultations in Norway was 50,200 in 2024. Of these, 54% were for patients younger than 75 years.
To allow comparisons between catchment areas and across years, the rates are adjusted for gender and age. The adjustment was performed using the direct method, with the country’s 2023 population as the reference population.
SKDE is solely responsible for the interpretation and presentation of the data provided by NPR. FHI/NPR is not responsible for analyses or interpretations based on these data.