Heart failure, introduction

Heart failure (HF) is a growing worldwide epidemic that results in significant morbidity and mortality in the aging population. HF is an important contributor to both the burden and cost of national healthcare expenditures, with more older Americans hospitalized for HF than for any other medical condition. Over the last two decades, there has been considerable progress in the treatment of HF with angiotensin-converting-enzyme (ACE) inhibitors, aldosterone antagonists, beta-receptor blockers, and resynchronization therapy. Nevertheless, HF is still associated with a poor prognosis. Approximately half of the people who develop HF die within 5 years of diagnosis. The search for better treatments for HF is one of the major challenges in cardiology. Greater understanding of the molecular dynamics and humoral perturbation will lead to newer HF treatment. In this chapter, different etiologies of HF, a systematic approach to the evaluation of a patient with HF, current strategies for the treatment, and emerging therapies in this field are discussed.