Inflammation - Cause or Consequence of Heart Failure or Both?
Sophie Van Linthout1, Carsten Tschöpe2,3
1Berlin-Brandenburg Center for Regenerative Therapies, Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Freie Universität Berlin, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, and Berlin Institute of Health, Berlin, Germany. sophie.van-linthout@charite.de.
Current Heart Failure Reports
|July 2, 2017
Summary
Inflammation is intricately linked to heart failure, acting as both a cause and consequence. Understanding this complex interplay is crucial for developing targeted therapies to manage chronic inflammation and heart failure.
Area of Science:
- Cardiovascular Medicine
- Immunology
- Pathophysiology
Background:
- Heart failure is a complex condition with emerging evidence linking it to inflammatory processes.
- The precise role of inflammation—whether causative or consequential—in heart failure pathogenesis requires clarification.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review current evidence on the pathophysiological relevance of inflammation in heart failure.
- To elucidate the bidirectional relationship between inflammation and heart failure.
Main Methods:
- Comprehensive literature review of studies investigating inflammation in heart failure.
- Analysis of diverse inflammatory pathways, including sterile inflammation and para-inflammation.
- Examination of crosstalk between cardiac and peripheral inflammatory responses.
Main Results:
- Inflammation can trigger heart failure through local and systemic mechanisms.
- Heart failure induces cardiac sterile inflammation via cell stress signals (DAMPs) and wall stress.
- A complex interplay exists between the heart and peripheral organs (e.g., gut, adipose tissue) in perpetuating inflammation.
Conclusions:
- Inflammation and heart failure form a mutually reinforcing vicious cycle.
- Early intervention to control inflammation is essential to prevent chronic disease progression.
- Tailored characterization of inflammatory profiles is needed for precision medicine in cardiology.
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