ABC of heart failure: Non-drug management

Emerging Drug Therapies for Heart Failure

Heart failure is associated with high morbidity and mortality and is proving to be an economic burden in developing countries. A number of therapeutic agents are presently employed in heart failure; but they are not sufficient to control symptoms of heart failure. Moreover, the prevalence of chronic heart failure is progressively increasing and thus there is a continuing need to develop effecti...

ABC of heart failure. History and epidemiology.

Heart failure is the end stage of all diseases of the heart and is a major cause of morbidity and mortality. It is estimated to account for about 5% of admissions to hospital medical wards, with over 100 000 annual admissions in the United Kingdom. The overall prevalence of heart failure is 3-20 per 1000 population, although this exceeds 100 per 1000 in those aged 65 years and over. The annual ...

Drug-induced heart failure.

Heart failure is a clinical syndrome that is predominantly caused by cardiovascular disorders such as coronary heart disease and hypertension. However, several classes of drugs may induce heart failure in patients without concurrent cardiovascular disease or may precipitate the occurrence of heart failure in patients with preexisting left ventricular impairment. We reviewed the literature on dr...

Management of Heart Failure

Heart failure is a complex syndrome physiologically characterized as low cardiac output leading to inadequate blood supply of tissues and vital organs. No matter the etiology, damage to the cardiocytes starts a complicated neurohormonal cascade that causes poor renal perfusion, leading to stimulation of the renin–angiotensin–aldosterone system and elevated levels of circulating catecholamines. ...

Drug treatment of heart failure.