 Acute heart failure syndromes aHFS cause almost 1 million hospitalizations annually in the United States and are the leading cause of hospitalization in persons aged over 65 years. In 2003, inpatient management of aHFS cost an estimated 12.7 billion in the United States. In 2003, 12.5 of the population in Hong Kong were aged over 65, the third highest proportion of elderly among all countries, and it is postulated that by 2033, the proportion of the elderly in the population will increase to 25. With the growing elderly population, and the increasing prevalence of hypertension and ischemic heart disease the major causes of heart failure, heart failure has become a major health care issue globally. In western countries the incidence ranges from 1 to 10 cases1000year. Other studies suggest that heart failure is a large and growing public health burden throughout Europe. 