[Chronic heart failure assessed by nuclear medicine]

Radionuclide imaging has been used for comprehensive evaluation of patients with heart failure. First of all, radionuclice ventriculography is useful for objective and quantitative assessment of LV systolic function. This is particularly important for assessment of severity of the disease and treatment effects. Radionuclide myocardial imaging permits evaluation of cellular and molecular function of the heart failure, including myocardial viability on the basis of membrane integration or preservation of myocardial metabolism. The combination of oxidative metabolism and cardiac workload may provide objective assessment of myocardial energy efficiency. Furthermore, recent developments of new radiopharmaceuticals permit noninvasive assessment of adrenergic neuronal function and beta-receptor function in vivo. The severity of the adrenergic dysfunction in patients with heart failure may be related the outcome of these patients. Such analysis may be valuable for evaluation of treatment effects and may possibly provide the best treatment for each patient with heart failure.