[New therapy concepts for heart failure with preserved ejection fraction]

The management of patients with heart failure and preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF) remains challenging and requires an accurate diagnosis. Although currently no convincing therapy that can prolong survival in patients with HFpEF has been established, treatment of fluid retention, heart rate and control of comorbidities are important cornerstones to improve the quality of life and symptoms. In recent years many new therapy targets have been tested for development of successful interventional strategies for HFpEF. Insights into new mechanisms of HFpEF have shown that heart failure is associated with dysregulation of the nitric oxide-cyclic guanosine monophosphate-protein kinase (NO-cGMP-PK) pathway. Two new drugs are currently under investigation to test whether this pathway can be significantly improved by either the neprilysin inhibitor LCZ 696 due to an increase in natriuretic peptides or by the soluble guanylate cyclase stimulator vericiguat, which is also able to increase cGMP. In addition, several preclinical or early phase studies which are currently investigating new mechanisms for matrix, intracellular calcium and energy regulation including the role of microRNAs and new devices are presented and discussed.