Epidemiology, Clinical Burden and Inflammatory Marker Testing in Atherosclerotic Cardiovascular Disease and Symptomatic Heart Failure in Germany: Insights from the ACHILLES Claims Data Analysis

How large is the burden of atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD) and symptomatic heart failure (HF) in Germany today – and how often is inflammation actually tested in routine care?

The ACHILLES claims data analysis, based on GWQ ServicePlus data from approximately 7.8 million individuals (2020–2024), identified 173,327 incident ASCVD and 121,208 incident symptomatic HF patients. In 2023, the age- and sex-adjusted incidence was 779 (ASCVD) and 668 (HF) per 100,000 individuals. Within 24 months, one in three ASCVD patients and almost one in two HF patients had a CV-related hospitalization – yet CRP testing was observed in only about 40% of patients in the first year after diagnosis.