[Terminal heart failure]

Abstract

Heart failure (HF) is a cardiovascular disease with a permanent increase in prevalence, incidence and mortality. Current optimal therapies for HF are effective only for slowing, but not stopping, its progression. HF-related mortality is high, even at the time of the disease onset. Approximately 40% of HF-attributable deaths will be related to disease progression - however, its course is difficult to predict and therefore identifying patients experiencing the terminal stage of the disease is not correctly done. Most patients and their relatives do not identify HF as a progressive, terminal disease, and this perception also stands among health professionals - in consequence, end-stage HF patients often undergo active treatment procedures, event near the occurrence of death, although its implementation will be occasionally futile. Efforts should be undertaken by all health professionals to improve the identification and management of HF patients in the terminal stage of their disease.