Heart Failure – Pathophysiology and Current Therapeutic Implications

Alveolar-capillary membrane dysfunction in chronic heart failure: pathophysiology and therapeutic implications.

Chronic heart failure (CHF) disturbs the alveolar-capillary interface and increases the resistance to gas transfer. Alveolar-capillary membrane conductance (D(M)) and capillary blood volume (V(c)) are subcomponents of the lung diffusion capacity. Elevation of the capillary pressure causes alveolar-capillary membrane stress failure (i.e. increase in capillary permeability to water and ions, and ...

Pathophysiology of heart failure.

1 The pathophysiological definition of heart failure states that " cardiac failure is an inability of the heart to deliver blood (and therefore oxygen) at a rate commensurate with the requirements of the metabolising tissues at rest or during light exercise. This leads to characteristic systemic pathophysiological responses (neural, hormonal, renal and others), symptoms and signs.'' However, th...

Pathophysiology of Heart Failure

Pathophysiology of congestive heart failure.

Heart failure is a clinical syndrome characterized by impaired structure and/or function of the heart, leading to dyspnea and fatigue at rest or with exertion. The pathophysiology of heart failure is complex, and there is no single lesion. Any form of heart disease can lead to heart failure. Most heart failure can be explained by well-recognized etiologic factors, though ostensibly healthy pati...

The current therapeutic approach to chronic heart failure.

In the past 20 years, enormous progress has been made in the understanding of the pathophysiology and treatment of the complex clinical syndrome of heart failure. It has been a bidirectional process, with improvements in the understanding of the pathophysiology suggesting new therapeutic approaches and the success and failures of clinical trials refining our hypotheses or even suggesting the in...