European heart journal
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European heart journal · Apr 2010
ReviewThe current and future management of acute heart failure syndromes.
Hospitalization for heart failure (HF) marks a substantial crossroad for patients, as greater than one-third will be re-hospitalized or dead within 90 days post-discharge. For patients with chronic HF who present with acute heart failure syndromes (AHFS), they transition from an arena of well-established and life-saving evidence-based therapies to one where early pharmacological management has changed little over the last 40 years. ⋯ Optimizing management of known targets with proven evidence-based therapy has the potential to reduce post-discharge event rates. In this inaugural issue of the Frontiers in Cardiovascular Therapy, we briefly review current in-hospital management of AHFS, introduce the concept of cardiac reconstruction, and focus on the potential of future management strategies and therapeutics to improve outcomes in AHFS.