Abstract While heart failure with reduced ejection fraction (HFrEF) is more prevalent in males, female predominance is a striking feature in heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF). The incidence of HFpEF has been gaining alarming proportions. It has exceeded HFrEF as the primary form of heart failure, especially in the female sex. Women tend to have smaller cardiac chambers with higher left ventricular ejection fraction; however, they have more severe symptoms and signs. Until now, there is no consensus […]

Introduction In the scenario of cardiogenic shock, attention was almost exclusively focused on the left ventricle (LV). Currently the concept that the circulatory system involves the interdependence between the LV and the right ventricle (RV) has been reinforced, and researchers seek to achieve a clearer understanding of the role of the right ventricle in cardiogenic shock. In the 1940s, in search of a more in-depth understanding of the role of the RV, the American doctor and researcher Isaac Starr and […]

The universal definition of heart failure (HF) has been in a state of constant change in the last decades. It is necessary for the definition to be simple, comprehensible, and easily applied in clinically, as well as capable of differentiating patients’ stages and severity, allowing stratification of levels of care, especially regarding candidates for specific therapies. In relation to ejection fraction (EF), which is the subject of our reflection, the most recent document proposed the following subdivisions according to left […]

Abstract Amyloidosis is a multisystem disease characterized by deposition of fibrillar proteins in different tissues, the heart being one of the sites of amyloid deposition. Cardiac amyloidosis may present as a restrictive syndrome with symptoms of heart failure (HF). Treatment includes prognosis-modifying medications in HF; their optimization, however, is a challenge due to the frequent adverse effects in this population. Renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system blockade should be carried out using low doses because, due to autonomic dysfunction, these drugs may cause hypotension […]

Abstract Heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF) is a syndrome with multiple etiologies and varied phenotypic manifestations. Amyloidosis is a systemic disease that frequently affects the myocardium, and it may represent a specific etiology of HFpEF. The treatment of HFpEF associated with amyloidosis is not based on specific evidence, and the risk of hypotension as an adverse effect of pharmacological management is always a concern. In this context, this review addresses some strategies for controlling circulatory congestion, arrhythmias, cardiac […]