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Heart Failure and Cardiomyopathies: CT and MR from Basics to Advanced Imaging
Pierpaolo Palumbo1,2, Ester Cannizzaro1, Maria Michela Palumbo3
1Department of Diagnostic Imaging, Area of Cardiovascular and Interventional Imaging, Abruzzo Health Unit 1, Via Saragat, Località Campo di Pile, 67100 L'Aquila, Italy.
Insights
Heart failure (HF) is a complex epidemic requiring precise definitions. Understanding the link between HF and cardiomyopathies (CMs) is crucial for effective patient therapy and diagnosis using advanced cardiac imaging.
Area of Science:
- Cardiology
- Medical Research
Background:
- Heart failure (HF) has been recognized as an epidemic since 1997.
- Lack of a single definition and diverse clinical presentations complicate HF management.
- HF is intrinsically linked to various cardiomyopathies (CMs).
Purpose of the Study:
- To elucidate the mechanisms driving HF in different CMs.
- To review the diagnostic and prognostic value of advanced cardiac imaging in HF.
- To emphasize the importance of accurate CM characterization for HF therapy.
Main Methods:
- This study is a narrative review.
- It synthesizes current literature on HF mechanisms and CMs.
- It focuses on the role of advanced cardiac imaging.
Main Results:
- HF arises from diverse mechanisms across different CMs.
- Accurate CM characterization is vital for guiding HF treatment.
- Advanced cardiac imaging offers significant diagnostic and prognostic benefits.
Conclusions:
- A unified understanding of HF mechanisms in CMs is needed.
- Advanced imaging techniques are essential tools for managing HF patients.
- Precise characterization of cardiomyopathies improves therapeutic strategies for heart failure.
Abstract:
Since 1997, heart failure (HF) has been designated as a new epidemic. However, it is not easy to find a proper definition since different descriptors are used in clinical practice. Moreover, HF is not a single clinical entity, and there is a close relationship between HF and all cardiomyopathies (CMs). This leads us to also consider accuracy in the characterization of CMs, which is essential to define the therapeutic process of HF patients. This narrative review aims to describe the main mechanisms leading to HF in different CMs, as well as the current diagnostic and prognostic advantages deriving from advanced imaging in the cardiac field.
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