A broader paradigm for understanding and treating heart failure.
Several recent clinical trials in heart failure have failed to demonstrate improvements in survival, suggesting that new approaches must be adopted if there are to be further improvements in heart failure treatment. We propose a broader paradigm for heart failure care based on a chronic rather than an acute illness model. This approach recognizes a broader range of outcomes including patient-perceived health status, expanded populations of interest that more closely reflect the changing epidemiology of heart failure, and a wider scope of interventions that address co-morbidity and health behavior. This approach will require a rationally designed health care delivery system that applies the best available evidence to the care of individual patients with heart failure.
Department of Medicine, Division of Cardiology, University of Colorado Health Sciences Center, Denver, Colorado, USA.
Edward P
EP
Havranek
Frederick A
FA
Masoudi
John S
JS
Rumsfeld
John F
JF
Steiner
D002908:Chronic Disease; D003695:Delivery of Health Care; D015438:Health Behavior; D006333:Heart Failure / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000628:therapy; D006801:Humans; D011787:Quality of Health Care; D011788:Quality of Life