Heart failure is a global health problem. With a worldwide prevalence of approximately 26 million, it has become a global pandemic causing significant healthcare expenditure, poor quality of life, and morbidity.
Heart Failure signs and symptoms can be subtle at first, and they are frequently misdiagnosed as typical signs of aging. But with each progressing stage, these signs become more obvious. So what is Heart failure? What are its causes and symptoms? And most importantly, what are the current diagnostics and treatment methods utilized for it?
What is Heart Failure?
Heart failure (HF) or Congestive Heart failure (CHF) is a condition in which the heart muscle cannot efficiently pump blood. Due to this, blood and fluid are accumulated in the lungs, resulting in shortness of breath. The major causes for heart failure are certain conditions like narrowed arteries in the heart (coronary artery disease) or high blood pressure, which gradually weaken or stiffen the heart, making it unable to fill and pump blood properly.
The most common Heart Failure symptom is vessel blockage that is caused by extra fluid or congestion in the lungs. It is then carried forward to other parts of the body. Congestion of the lung and left side of the heart, congestion of the right heart, and low cardiac output are the three stages of these symptoms.
The most common heart failure causes include lowering of the left ventricular myocardial utility and the dysfunction of the endocardium, pericardium, myocardium, heart valves, or large vessels, sometimes individually and sometimes in combination. Other pathogenic mechanisms that lead to heart failure include irregular myocyte calcium cycling, excessive neurohumoral stimulation, extreme or inadequate extracellular matrix production, augmented hemodynamic overload, ischemic dysfunction, enhanced apoptosis, ventricular remodelling, and genetic mutations.
Heart Failure Diagnosis
Heart failure does not indicate that the heart has stopped working, but rather that it requires some assistance to function correctly. Even with a heart failure diagnosis, a person could lead a healthy life with proper care and management. Various parameters are used in the evaluation of heart failure.
Blood tests are the most common diagnostic method that includes parameters like analyzing a complete blood count, urinalysis, blood urea nitrogen, a complete metabolic profile for serum electrolytes (including calcium and magnesium), serum creatinine, fasting lipid profile, glucose, liver function tests, and thyroid-stimulating hormone levels.
Other Heart failure diagnostic tests include a chest X-ray, Computerised tomography (CT) scans, transthoracic echocardiography (TTE), and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), Echocardiogram, Myocardial biopsy, Stress test, Coronary angiogram, Ejection fraction, and others.
Current Heart Failure Treatments
Heart failure is global morbidity, increasing as the world’s population ages, and without treatment, patients with HF have a low prognosis. The primary goals of heart failure treatment are to reduce mortality, improve prognosis, and relieve symptoms and reduce morbidity by reversing or slowing cardiac and peripheral dysfunction.
Many pharma and MedTech companies work in the space to deliver the best class therapeutics and medical devices for reducing the burden of Heart failure.
Pharma companies such as Merck, AstraZeneca, Amgen, and Novartis produce US FDA-approved drugs like Verquvo, Farxiga (dapagliflozin), Corlanor (ivabradine), and Entresto (sacubitril/valsartan), respectively.
MedTech companies such as Boehringer Ingelheim, Edwards Lifesciences, Eli Lilly, Merck, Bayer, Abbott, Medtronic, B. Braun Melsungen AG, Oscor, Abiomed, Teleflex Incorporated, etc. provide their products for the heart failure market. Among these, Boston Scientific Corporation, which is one of the renowned MedTech companies in the world, offers its four major products, namely, S-ICD™ System, VALITUDE™ X4 CRT-P, Maverick2 ™ PTCA Balloon Catheters, and ACCOLADE™ Pacing Systems.
For more in-depth information on these current and upcoming treatments for HF, read this comprehensive article made by Delveinsight on the Heart failure market.
Conclusion.
Heart failure is a complicated disease that has long been a leading cause of morbidity and mortality in both developing and developed countries. In the early stages of HF, standardized medical therapy has been effective. However, current medical treatment for heart failure only alleviates symptoms, delays deterioration, and modestly prolongs life. But with advancements in science, an effective cure for HF seems feasible.