Key result
Integrating RV function and lymphatic insufficiency into HF definitions may identify novel therapeutic targets.
Why the study?
Current definitions of heart failure may be too narrow, potentially neglecting research into compensatory mechanisms, comorbidities, right heart function, and lymphatic function.
Expanding the definition of heart failure to include lymphatic insufficiency and right heart function may reveal novel therapeutic targets and improve patient outcomes.
Is the definition of heart failure too narrow, not allowing research into compensatory mechanisms, comorbidities, right heart function, and lymphatic function? A review of the absolute mortality of heart failure drugs and devices suggests a modest improvement in outcomes. Absolute mortality from common comorbidities, including renal insufficiency, arrhythmia, conduction deficits, pulmonary hypertension, anemia, obstructive sleep apnea, infection, inflammation, edema, ischemic heart disease, and diabetes II, is significant. The lymphatic function is involved in short, intermediate, and long-term compensation for a failing heart and plays a role in most of the comorbidities. A better definition of heart failure is: Heart failure is a complex clinical syndrome that results from any structural or functional impairment of right or left ventricular filling or ejection of blood and failure of peripheral compensatory mechanisms. Lymphatic function from the anatomic, fluid management, immune modification standpoints requires study. New therapies from this analysis will improve patients with congestive heart failure.
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Houck et al. (2020) conducted a review in Heart Failure. Expanding the definition of heart failure to include right ventricular function and peripheral compensatory mechanisms, particularly lymphatic insufficiency, may identify novel therapeutic targets.
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