DOI: 10.21276/sajp.2019.8.1.3

Pages: 15-19

Heart failure is a clinical syndrome caused by structural or functional abnormalities of myocardium resulting in the inability of the heart to meet the oxygen demands of the body. In the developed countries approximately 1-2% of the adult population and globally more than 26 million people affected by Heart failure. It is estimated that about 5.7 million adults within the United States are diagnosed with heart failure. In all deaths, across the nation one in nine deaths enclosed failure as a contributive cause. Annually more than 870,000 new cases of heart failure are diagnosed, and it's calculatetable that by the year 2030 bigger than eight million individuals can be diagnosed with the disease. The burden of HF in India appears high, and estimates of prevalence range from 1.3 million to 4.6 million, with an annual incidence of 491 to 600–1.8 million. The most commonly reported signs and symptoms are breathlessness, fluid retention, and paroxysmal nocturnal dyspnoea (PND). Other symptoms such as a poor appetite and low energy levels can be related to heart failure but they are also associated with other conditions. The diagnosis of Heart Failure is performed by using various parameters like blood test, chest x-ray, ECG, Echocardiography. The objectives of pharmacotherapy for heart failure are to prevent complications and reduce morbidity. Drugs used for management of heart failure are Angiotensin-converting enzyme, Beta-blockers, Angiotensin receptor blocker, Mineralocorticoid receptor antagonist, Angiotensin receptor neprilysin inhibitor, diuretics and others. In this review we are providing latest news on heart failure, signs and symptoms, different assessment tools, current practices regarding the management of heart failure.