Echo and heart failure: when do people need an echo, and when do they need natriuretic peptides?

摘要: Heart failure (HF) is a threat to public health. Heterogeneities in aetiology and phenotype complicate the diagnosis management of HF. This especially true when considering HF with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF), which makes up 50% cases. Natriuretic peptides may aid establishing working patients suspected HF, but echocardiography remains optimal choice for diagnosing Echocardiography provides important prognostic information both reduced (HFrEF) HFpEF. Traditionally, emphasis has been put on left ventricular (LVEF). LVEF useful prognosis HFrEF. However, offers more than this single parameter systolic function, risk assessment HFrEF, an echocardiogram evaluating systolic, diastolic, atrial right function beneficial. In echocardiographic modalities such as global longitudinal strain (GLS) by 2D speckle-tracking be useful. little value HFpEF neither helpful nor prognosis. Diastolic quantified E/e' determined GLS offer insight HFpEF, other parameters cardiac performance evaluated also contribute information. Hence, it consider entire not focus solely function. Future research should combining into prediction models adopt personalized approach instead identifying yet another biomarker.