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Diastolic heart failure.

Heart Lung. 2008 Nov-Dec;37(6):405-16

Authors: Gary R, Davis L

Diastolic heart failure (DHF) is estimated to occur in 40% to 50% of patients with heart failure. Evidence suggests that DHF is primarily a cardiogeriatric syndrome that increases from approximately 1% at age 50 years to 10% or more at 80 years. DHF is also more likely to occur in older women who are hypertensive or diabetic. Although survival is better in patients with DHF compared with systolic heart failure, mortality rates for patients with DHF are four times higher than those for healthy, community-dwelling older adults. The increase in DHF is anticipated to continue during the next several decades largely because of the aging of the population; increase in risk factors associated with hypertension, diabetes, and obesity; and ongoing technologic advances in the treatment of cardiovascular disease. Few clinical trials have evaluated therapy in this population, so evidence about the effectiveness of treatment strategies for DHF is limited. Future research should target novel interventions that specifically target patients with DHF who are typically older and female, and experience exertional intolerance and have a considerably reduced quality of life.

PMID: 18992623 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]

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Management of acute decompensated heart failure in an evidence-based era: what is the evidence behind the current standard of care?

Heart Lung. 2008 May-Jun;37(3):173-8

Authors: Fares WH

Despite the increased mortality and morbidity in patients with acute decompensated heart failure (ADHF), its management has been based primarily on anecdotal experiences and physiologic assumptions rather than on prospective randomized controlled trials. The data on diuretics have been conflicting. Routine use of inotropes in ADHF has been clearly associated with increased mortality and morbidity, although inotropes seem to cause short-term clinical improvement. The safety of the different vasoactive medications has never been adequately confirmed in prospective trials despite their use for a long time in heart failure. Good evidence that supports the safety and efficacy of the different medications that are routinely used in ADHF is lacking. Unless properly designed prospective clinical trials are done to evaluate the safety of the various ADHF regimens, clinicians might continue to be misguided by the beneficial short-term effects at the expense of long-term mortality and morbidity.

PMID: 18482628 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]

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