Acute heart failure management in the USA and Japan: overview of practice patterns and review of evidence

Abstract

Globally, acute heart failure (AHF) remains an ongoing public health issue with its prevalence and mortality increasing in the east and the west. Effective treatment strategies to stabilize AHF are important to alleviate clinical symptoms and to improve clinical outcomes. However, despite the progress in the management of stable and chronic heart failure, no single agent has been proven to play a definitive role in the management of AHF. As a consequence, contemporary treatment strategies for patients with AHF vary greatly by region. This manuscript reviews the medical treatment options for AHF, with an emphasis on the differences between the treatment strategies in the USA and Japan. This information would provide a framework for clinicians to evaluate and manage patients with AHF and highlight the remaining questions to improve clinical outcomes.

Keywords: Acute heart failure; Drug therapy; Regional difference.

Figure 1

Overview of the pharmacological mechanism of the reviewed medications. HF, heart failure; LV, left ventricular; LVEDP, left ventricular end‐diastolic pressure.