Disease-modifier Drugs in Patients with Advanced Heart Failure: How to Optimize Their Use?

Abstract

Therapy based on disease-modifier drugs is among the required criteria to diagnose advanced heart failure (AdvHF). Nevertheless, several conditions, such as hospitalization, hypotension, renal dysfunction, electrolyte abnormalities, medical inertia, and patients' adherence, can make the maintenance of optimal medical therapy in patients with AdvHF challenging. Moreover, in recent years, new classes of drugs able have been shown to be able to further modify the natural history of heart failure with reduced ejection fraction, but they are still not widely adopted. This article discusses the optimal use of disease-modifier drugs in patients with AdvHF as well as the possible usefulness of the new therapeutic opportunities.

Keywords: Advanced heart failure; Prognosis; Therapy.