Today, acute heart failure represents the most common reason for hospitalization in the over-65 population. Although hospital care improves symptoms in the first 24 hours after admission in around 50 percent of these patients, acute heart failure events still remain associated with a more than 50 percent mortality and rehospitalization rate at 6-12 months.

Several new biomarkers have been recently described in heart failure syndrome either in stable chronic patients as in the settings of acute decompensation. Biomarkers are used to diagnose disease risk, to predict outcome and to tailor treatment to individuals.

Researchers have developed the first mathematical model in cardiology and emergency medicine to more quickly and reliably diagnose acute heart failure in emergency room patients. Research findings have been shown to help physicians diagnose AHF with greater accuracy.

Patients with heart disease who are subsequently diagnosed with depression are at greater risk for heart failure, a condition in which the heart can't pump enough blood throughout the body, according to a new study.

Including fish in a balanced diet has long been associated with the prevention of heart disease, and scientists now believe that it can help preserve heart function in patients who have experienced heart failure. A new study reports that moderate fish consumption can help reduce the risk of left ventricular systolic dysfunction (LVSD) in post acute coronary syndrome (ACS) patients.

Patients with atrial fibrillation, common in those with advanced chronic heart failure, have an increased risk of hospitalization due to heart failure, according to new research. The findings also suggest that atrial fibrillation is not associated with an increased risk of death in heart failure patients, contradicting previous assumptions.

Frequent arousals from sleep that occur in heart failure patients with central sleep apnea (CSA) may reflect the presence of another underlying arousal disorder rather than being a defensive mechanism to terminate apneas. Findings show that factors other than central sleep apnea may contribute to poor sleep quality in heart-failure patients.

Individuals who have persistent high blood pressure are at increased risks of a number of serious medical conditions, including heart failure. One of the factors that contributes to such heart failure is thickening of the muscle wall of the heart.

Researchers have discovered that a prototype drug reduces heart enlargement, one of the most common causes of heart failure. Heart failure, which occurs when the heart can't pump enough blood throughout the body, affects 5 million people in the United States. The condition contributes to 300,000 deaths each year.

Cardiac resynchronization can significantly delay the progression of heart failure, according to a major international study. The treatment reduced the risk of serious heart failure events by 41 percent, the study found.