title: [Role of nutrition in heart failure patients].
abstract: Heart failure is the leading cause of death and hospitalization in industrialized countries and a major cause of healthcare costs. It is associated with severe symptoms and its prognosis remains poor. Further improvement is needed beyond the results of pharmacological treatment and devices. The role of nutrition has therefore been studied both in the early stages of heart failure, as a tool for the reduction of cardiovascular risk factors and in symptomatic heart failure, for the prevention and treatment of congestion and fluid overload. In addition, dietary supplements, such as n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids and amino acids, may contribute to the improvement of prognosis and cardiac function, respectively. Finally, in advanced heart failure, nutrition may counteract the effects of muscle wasting and cardiac cachexia through an increase in caloric and protein intake and amino acid supplementation.
authors.affiliation: Università degli Studi e Spedali Civili, Brescia. valentina.carubelli@gmail.com
authors.forename: Valentina
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Carubelli
authors.forename: Filippo
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Quinzani
authors.forename: Federica
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Guidetti
authors.forename: Marianna
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Adamo
authors.forename: Lorenza
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Inama
authors.forename: Riccardo
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Rovetta
authors.forename: Valentina
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Lazzarini
authors.forename: Carlo
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Lombardi
authors.forename: Marco
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Metra
authors.forename: Livio
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Dei Cas
mesh_terms: D002100:Cachexia / Q000209:etiology; D019587:Dietary Supplements; D006333:Heart Failure / Q000150:complications / Q000178:diet therapy*; D006801:Humans; D012307:Risk Factors