Vnitr Lek 2018, 64(9):847-851 | DOI: 10.36290/vnl.2018.116

Diagnosis of heart failure: the new classification of heart failure

Barbora Nussbaumerová^*, Hana Rosolová

Centrum preventivní kardiologie II. interní kliniky LF UK a FN Plzeň

Heart failure (HF) is a clinical syndrome characterized by typical symptoms (e.g. breathlessness, ankle swelling and fatigue) that may be accompanied by signs (e.g. elevated jugular venous pressure, pulmonary crackles and periphe-ral oedema) caused by a structural and/or functional cardiac abnormality, resulting in a reduced cardiac output and/or elevated intracardiac pressures at rest or during stress. Natriuretic peptides have a significant negative predictive value for excluding of heart failure. Echocardiography is the most important imaging method in heart failure. The new classification distinguishes HF by left ventricule ejection fraction (LV EF) into 3 groups: HF with preserved EF - HFpEF with LV EF ≥ 50 %, mid-range EF - HFmrEF with LV EF 40-49 % and HF with reduced EF - HFrEF with LV EF < 40 %. A quantity of examination methods is available in heart failure diagnosis and treatment.

Keywords: classification; diagnosis; echocardiography; heart failure; natriuretic peptides

Received: July 30, 2018; Accepted: August 13, 2018; Published: September 1, 2018  Show citation