Ján Murín
The prevalence of chronic heart failure (HF) has been steadily and rapidly increasing in recent decades. The disease has
a high morbidity and mortality, contributes to frequent rehospitalizations, and negatively influences the quality of life
of these patients. Pharmacotherapy is able to improve the quality of life and prognosis of patients.
Echocardiography is able to distinguish HF with reduced ejection fraction (ejection fraction of left ventricle < 40%), HF
with preserved ejection fraction (ejection fraction ≥ 50%) and HF with mid-range ejection fraction (40% - 49%). The presence
of HF is diagnosed clinically.
Pharmacotherapy of HF with reduced ejection fraction has clear guidelines. The new treatments in the above-mentioned
guidelines are empagliflozin for type 2 diabetes to treat diabetic patients and ARNI with an ambition to replace
ACE inhibitors or sartans (due to adding of benefits of natriuretic peptides). In acute HF there are no new treatments.
It is better to prevent HF then to treat it. We need to prevent ischemic heart disease and treat risk factors in patients
without HF.