Pediatric Chronic Heart Failure: Age-Specific Considerations of Medical Therapy

Chronic heart failure (CHF) is a rare entity in children but carries a burden of high mortality and morbidity. Medical treatment of pediatric CHF is largely based on guidelines for the adult population. In contrast to adults, evidence for the efficacy of medications in treating CHF in children is sparse. This may be due to the difficulty of conducting high-powered studies in children or to true differences in the mechanisms of CHF pathophysiology. Recent observations suggest that CHF in children differs from adults at the molecular and cellular levels. Different pathways are involved, leading to less fibrosis and hypertrophy than in adults, with potential implications for therapy. The main pathophysiological goals of medical treatment of pediatric CHF due to systemic left ventricular dysfunction are discussed in this review. These include preload and afterload optimization, diminishing cardiomyocyte apoptosis and necrosis as well as interstitial fibrosis, and optimizing myocardial oxygen consumption. The pediatric myocardium should be provided with optimal conditions to achieve its regenerative potential. The cornerstones of medical CHF therapy are angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitors (ACEI), beta blockers and mineralocorticoid receptor antagonists. There are potential benefits of tissue ACEI and ?1-selective beta blockers in children. Angiotensin receptor blockers are an alternative to ACEI and their slightly different mechanism of action may confer certain advantages and disadvantages. Diuretics are employed to achieve a euvolemic state. Digoxin is used more frequently in children than in adults. Promising new drugs already routinely used in adults include angiotensin receptor-neprilysin inhibitors and sodium-glucose contransporter 2 inhibitors. Key words: Pediatric heart failure, Heart failure with reduced ejection fraction (HFrEF), ACE inhibitor, Beta blocker, Digoxin.