Diagnosis and Management of Acute Heart Failure
Acute heart failure (AHF) is among the most common cardiovascular problems globally. Over the past 20 years, data from large registries and global clinical trials have provided a much greater understanding of the epidemiology of AHF, which can be seen as a spectrum of disorders ranging from mild decompensation requiring adjustment of diuretics to cardiogenic shock. The aging of the population and the growing burden of both cardiovascular and non-cardiovascular co-morbid conditions have contributed to the challenges of improving outcomes in this clinical syndrome. Despite decades of research into novel therapeutics, outcomes after hospitalization for AHF continue to be poor and relatively unchanged over time. Therapy for AHF continues to be primarily focused on using diuretics to treat volume overload, although a variety of novel approaches remain in development.
