New York Heart Association Functional Classification

The New York Heart Association (NYHA) Functional Classification is a four-category ordinal system for grading heart failure severity based on the level of physical activity that precipitates dyspnea or other HF symptoms. Established by the NYHA in 1928 and refined in 1994, the NYHA classification is the oldest and most widely used functional status metric in cardiology, providing a simple, clinically intuitive framework for describing HF symptom burden, guiding treatment intensity, and predicting prognosis.