The Role of the Nervous System in the Maintenance of Venous Hypertension in Heart Failure

The mechanism of venous pressure elevation in chronic congestive heart failure is not yet well understood. Data collected in the last decade failed to substantiate the " backward failure " theory of high venous pressure. It was demonstrated that "high output failure" results in phlebohyperten- sion as well as the " low output " form of the disease On the other hand, no increment in venous pressure occurs following severe damage (Starr et al., 1943; Bakos, 1950) or Does the general contraction of the veins elevate their pressure? Do the veins react as an independent part of the vascular system? Most authors answer these questions in the negative (Landis and Hortenstine, 1950; Fremont- Smith, 1949; and others). Nevertheless, some isolated observations seemed to support these assumptions.