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Review
. 2019 May 24;5(2):74-77.
doi: 10.15420/cfr.2019.3.2. eCollection 2019 May.

The Limitations of Symptom-based Heart Failure Management

Lampros Papadimitriou  1 , Charles K Moore  1 , Javed Butler  1 , Robert C Long  1
Affiliations
Review

The Limitations of Symptom-based Heart Failure Management

Lampros Papadimitriou et al. Card Fail Rev. .

Abstract

Heart failure (HF) has emerged as a global epidemic and it affects about 6 million adults in the US. HF medical treatment, as recommended in guidelines, significantly improves survival and quality of life; however, the mortality burden of HF remains high. For decades, treatment has been guided, mainly by symptoms, leading to undertreatment in a range of settings. Current evidence emphasises the unfavourable outcomes of HF even in early stages or in patients who achieve reverse remodeling and remission or recovery under optimised treatment. This should stimulate efforts towards a more objective, rigorous management, covering the entire spectrum of mild, moderate and severe HF.

Keywords: Heart failure; New York Heart Association; functional classification; guideline-directed medical therapy; symptoms; undertreatment.

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Conflict of interest statement

Disclosure: LP and RCL have no conflicts of interest to declare. CKM has received speaking honoraria from Novartis, JB has received research support from the National Institutes of Health and the EU and is a consultant to Amgen, Astra Zeneca, Bayer, Boehringer Ingelheim, CardioCell, Gilead Sciences, Merck, Novartis, Relypsa and Z Pharma.

Figures

Figure 1:
Figure 1:. Natural Course of Stage C Heart Failure
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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