Corrigendum to: ESC Guidelines for the diagnosis and treatment of acute and chronic heart failure 2012’[Eur Heart J 2012;33:1787–1847, doi:10.1093/eurheartj/ehs104

A closer look: Alternative pain management practices by heart failure patients with chronic pain

“…HF was defined as some abnormality in cardiac structure or function that results in insufficient tissue oxygenation over a prolonged period of time. 8 Common chronic pain conditions include low back pain, osteoarthritis, headaches, rheumatoid arthritis, fibromyalgia, peripheral diabetic neuropathy, cancer, 1 and irritable bowel syndrome. 9 Common pain sites reported by people with HF include the lower back, 6,7 lower legs, knees, and shoulders.…”

Effect of cardiac resynchronization therapy on patients with heart failure and narrow QRS complexes: a meta-analysis of five randomized controlled trials

“…Currently, CRT is recommended as a standard class I indication for moderate-to-severe heart failure patients with reduced left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) (<35 %) and wide QRS duration (>120 ms) [2,3]. However, there still exists a substantial population of heart failure patients with narrow QRS complexes (<130 ms), showing echocardiographic evidence of left ventricular mechanical dyssynchrony [4].…”

Quantitative Doppler-Echocardiographic Imaging and Clinical Outcomes With Left Ventricular Systolic Dysfunction

“…Furthermore, the link between PH and outcomes is not as a surrogate coupled with associated clinical predictors, comorbidities, or even the extent of symptoms commonly associated with LVSD. This critical finding is to be viewed in light of the fact that in the current HF practice guidelines, [3][4][5][6] the assessment for PH is not listed among specifically recommended D-E measurements, and PH is not addressed as a marker of worse outcome or a target for therapy.…”

“…1,2 However, the assessment of PH in the setting of LVSD is not a specified recommendation as either a primary or follow-up measurement by current American College of Cardiology Foundation/American Heart Association, Heart Failure Society of America, or European Society of Cardiology heart failure (HF) practice guidelines. [3][4][5] Although it has been asserted that PH is associated with worsening outcomes, [6][7][8][9][10][11][12][13] the available evidence has not been considered compelling because PH is the physiological consequence of multiple other hemodynamic alterations that include not only LVSD but also the severity of FMR 14 and LV diastolic dysfunction (LVDD), 15 both of which are important determinants of survival in LVSD. Furthermore, PH is often thought to be associated with severe HF symptoms, which are recognized as markers of outcome with LVSD.…”