Asian Pacific Society of Cardiology Consensus Statements on the Management of Worsening Heart Failure

Heart failure (HF) patients in the Asia-Pacific region face multiple challenges with disease management, such as the suboptimal use of optimised medical therapy immediately after discharge and during the maintenance phase of treatment. Because recent evidence underscores the profound benefit of rapid uptitration of optimised medical therapy in HF patients upon discharge, there is a need to improve the quality of care provided to patients with worsening HF in the region. Hence, the Asian Pacific Society of Cardiology (APSC) developed these consensus recommendations, with general cardiologists and internal medicine specialists practising cardiology as the intended readers, to guide them in the appropriate evaluation and management of worsening HF. The APSC expert panel reviewed and appraised the available evidence using the Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development and Evaluation system. Consensus recommendations were developed and put to an online vote. Consensus was reached when 80% of votes for a given recommendation were in support of ‘agree’ or ‘neutral’. The resulting 26 statements provide guidance for clinical practitioners in the Asia-Pacific region on the optimal management of worsening HF.