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Lumped-Parameter and Finite Element Modeling of Heart Failure with Preserved Ejection Fraction
Published on: February 13, 2021
Heart failure with preserved ejection fraction: current understanding and emerging concepts.
Yingwei Liu1, Tony Haddad, Girish Dwivedi
1University of Ottawa Heart Institute, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada.
Current Opinion in Cardiology
|January 1, 2013
Summary
Heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF) remains a challenge, with unchanged mortality despite advances. Current treatments show limited benefits, necessitating further research into its complex pathophysiology for effective therapies.
Area of Science:
- Cardiology
- Internal Medicine
- Clinical Research
Background:
- Heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF) represents a significant portion of heart failure cases.
- Unlike heart failure with reduced ejection fraction (HFrEF), HFpEF has seen no reduction in mortality.
- Limited understanding of HFpEF pathophysiology and diagnostic criteria hinders effective treatment development.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review recent advances in understanding and diagnosing HFpEF.
- To evaluate current and emerging therapeutic strategies for HFpEF.
- To highlight the need for new approaches due to the heterogeneity of HFpEF.
Main Methods:
- Review of recent clinical data and pathological findings in HFpEF.
- Analysis of the efficacy of traditional and novel pharmacological agents in HFpEF.
- Consideration of diagnostic advancements and patient population characteristics.
Main Results:
- HFpEF is characterized by multiple underlying abnormalities, not a single entity.
- Diagnostic testing has improved, but requires further validation.
- Newer agents show benefits in symptoms but not mortality; traditional HFrEF drugs are ineffective.
- Older HFpEF patients with comorbidities require consideration of alternative clinical endpoints.
Conclusions:
- Despite progress in understanding HFpEF pathophysiology and diagnosis, no current pharmacological therapy improves mortality.
- Further research requires better characterization of HFpEF and more homogeneous patient cohorts.
- Identifying effective treatments for HFpEF remains a critical unmet need.
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