Contents

Disclaimer

Oxford University Press makes no representation, express or implied, that the drug dosages in this book are correct. Readers must therefore always check the product information and clinical procedures with the most up to date published product information and data sheets provided by the manufacturers and the most recent codes of conduct and safety regulations. The authors and the publishers do not accept responsibility or legal liability for any errors in the text or for the misuse or misapplication of material in this work. Except where otherwise stated, drug dosages and recommendations are for the non-pregnant adult who is not breastfeeding.

Show Summary Details
Page of

Chronic heart failure: Definitions, investigation, and management 

Chronic heart failure: Definitions, investigation, and management
Chapter:
Chronic heart failure: Definitions, investigation, and management
Author(s):

John G.F. Cleland

, and Andrew L. Clark

DOI:
10.1093/med/9780198746690.003.0349
Page of

PRINTED FROM OXFORD MEDICINE ONLINE (www.oxfordmedicine.com). © Oxford University Press, 2021. All Rights Reserved. Under the terms of the licence agreement, an individual user may print out a PDF of a single chapter of a title in Oxford Medicine Online for personal use (for details see Privacy Policy and Legal Notice).

date: 05 March 2021

Heart failure is a common clinical syndrome, predominantly a disease of older people, often presenting with breathlessness, fatigue, and peripheral oedema. Its pathophysiology is complex, with a common feature being salt and water retention, possibly triggered by a relative fall in renal perfusion pressure. Common aetiologies include ischaemic heart disease, hypertension, and valvular heart disease. New treatments have improved prognosis substantially over the past two decades. Early diagnosis relies on a low threshold of suspicion and screening of people at risk. Treatable causes for heart failure should be identified and corrected. Pharmacological therapy is given to improve symptoms and prognosis. Diuretic therapy is the mainstay for control of congestion and symptoms, but its effect on long-term prognosis is unknown. For patients with HFrEF, either angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors, angiotensin receptor blockers, or angiotensin receptor–neprilysin inhibitors, combined with β‎-blockers and mineralocorticoid receptor antagonists (triple therapy) provide both symptomatic and prognostic benefit.

Access to the complete content on Oxford Medicine Online requires a subscription or purchase. Public users are able to search the site and view the abstracts for each book and chapter without a subscription.

Please subscribe or login to access full text content.

If you have purchased a print title that contains an access token, please see the token for information about how to register your code.

For questions on access or troubleshooting, please check our FAQs, and if you can't find the answer there, please contact us.