[Chronic heart failure with impaired left ventricular function (systolic heart failure)]
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Updated: May 15, 2026

Lumped-Parameter and Finite Element Modeling of Heart Failure with Preserved Ejection Fraction
Published on: February 13, 2021
1Szegedi Tudományegyetem, Általános Orvostudományi Kar II. Belgyógyászati Klinika és Kardiológiai Központ Szeged Korányi fasor 6. 6720. hogye.marta@med.u-szeged.hu
Insights
Chronic systolic heart failure management involves medications and cardiac interventions. Guidelines recommend treatments to reduce hospitalization and mortality in heart failure patients.
Area of Science:
- Cardiology
- Public Health
Context:
- Chronic heart failure presents a significant public health challenge with high mortality rates.
- The incidence of heart failure is continuously increasing, necessitating effective management strategies.
Purpose:
- To highlight therapeutic options for chronic systolic heart failure.
- To align treatment strategies with the latest European Society of Cardiology guidelines (2012).
Summary:
- Pharmacological interventions include angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitors, angiotensin receptor blockers, beta-blockers, and aldosterone antagonists for severe systolic dysfunction.
- Cardiac interventions like defibrillator and cardiac resynchronization device implantation support failing left ventricles.
- Advanced therapies for terminal stages include ventricular assist devices, intra-aortic balloon pumps, artificial hearts, and heart transplantation.
Impact:
- Improved prognosis and reduced mortality for patients with chronic systolic heart failure.
- Guideline-directed medical therapy and interventions can decrease hospitalization rates.
- Provides a framework for clinicians to manage heart failure based on current evidence-based recommendations.
Abstract:
Chronic heart failure is a common public health problem. The disease has a poor prognosis with high mortality rate and the incidence increases continuously. Prognosis of chronic systolic heart failure can be improved by several different medications as well as by special cardiac interventions based on the newly-published European and American guidelines. In case of severe systolic dysfunction, hospitalization and mortality can be reduced using angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitors, angiotensin receptor blocking drugs, beta-receptor blocking agents and aldosterone antagonists, as evidenced in multicentric studies. In selected cases different cardiac interventions, such as intracardial defibrillator and/or cardiac desynchronization device implantation can be used for supporting the failing left ventricle. In terminal stage, special devices (ventricular assist device, intra-aortic balloon pump, arteficial heart) and, finally, heart transplantation can be applied. In this paper, the authors highlight therapeutic options of chronic systolic heart failure referring to recommendations of the latest, 2012 guideline from the European Society of Cardiology.
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