The American Heart Association and the American College of Cardiology have devised a classification system for heart failure that can be used to direct treatment. Patients with symptoms and underlying disease are classified as stage:

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The American Heart Association and the American College of Cardiology classification system for heart failure includes four stages: A, B, C, and D. Stage C refers to patients who have symptoms of heart failure and underlying structural heart disease. This stage is further divided into two categories, C1 and C2, which indicate whether the patient has or has not been previously hospitalized for heart failure. Treatment for stage C heart failure typically includes medications such as diuretics, ACE inhibitors, and beta-blockers, as well as lifestyle modifications such as sodium restriction and exercise.