What should we do about heart failure: challenges for 2009.

摘要

Treatment of chronic heart failure (CHF) has been extremely successful during the last 10;15 years with major improvements in pharmacological and device-based therapies. The present treatment options have recently been updated in the new guidelines from the ESC.1 In these guidelines, there is also an update on the diagnosis of heart failure and, importantly, guidelines for the treatment of acute heart failure. Such a combination is presented for the first time. As there are now several treatment options that have been demonstrated to improve morbidity and mortality, there is obviously a need for these therapies to be put into daily use by practising physicians. What then is the current situation in the management of patients with heart failure?