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Updated: Sep 10, 2025
09:20
Lumped-Parameter and Finite Element Modeling of Heart Failure with Preserved Ejection Fraction
Published on: February 13, 2021
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Heart Failure With Reduced Ejection Fraction: Medical Management
Robert L Gauer1, Adam Rifaat1, Ashley M Foulkrod1
1Womack Army Medical Center, Fort Bragg, North Carolina.
American Family Physician
|August 20, 2025
Summary
Guideline-directed medical therapy, including four key drug classes, improves survival and quality of life for heart failure with reduced ejection fraction (HFrEF) patients. Adjustments and secondary therapies are vital for persistent symptoms and managing side effects.
Area of Science:
- Cardiology
- Pharmacology
- Medical Treatment
Background:
- Heart failure with reduced ejection fraction (HFrEF) management has advanced, leading to increased patient survival.
- Current treatment aims to reduce mortality, hospitalizations, and symptoms, while enhancing functional status and quality of life.
Purpose of the Study:
- To outline current guideline-directed medical therapy (GDMT) for HFrEF.
- To discuss secondary therapies, management of adverse effects, and the role of iron replacement and device therapies.
Main Methods:
- Review of established and emerging treatments for HFrEF.
- Emphasis on guideline-recommended pharmacological interventions.
- Inclusion of device therapies and diagnostic tools like point-of-care ultrasonography.
Main Results:
- GDMT, including renin-angiotensin system/neprilysin inhibitors, beta blockers, mineralocorticoid receptor antagonists, and SGLT-2 inhibitors, is proven to reduce morbidity and mortality.
- Secondary therapies and intravenous iron replacement improve outcomes in specific patient groups.
- Device therapies address sudden cardiac death risk, and ultrasonography aids diagnosis and treatment assessment.
Conclusions:
- Comprehensive management of HFrEF involves timely initiation and titration of GDMT.
- Personalized treatment strategies, including secondary therapies and supportive interventions, are crucial for optimizing patient outcomes.
- Ongoing monitoring and adjustment of therapy are essential for managing adverse effects and improving quality of life in HFrEF patients.
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