What is the normal heart failure index?

We should pay attention to understanding the normal index of heart failure in our daily life, because heart failure is a problem that has seriously affected our physical health. In fact, 55% of heart failure patients now have ejection fractions within the normal range.

1. It is estimated that about 50% of heart failure patients have an ejection fraction within the normal range, which is currently generally referred to as heart failure with normal left ventricular ejection fraction (HFNEF). Epidemiological studies and clinical trials have treated this group of patients as a separate group, and the few detailed studies that have been conducted have shown that the clinical picture of HFNEF patients varies greatly and is caused by a variety of important pathophysiological mechanisms.

2. It is generally accepted that clinical symptoms of heart failure can occur in patients with normal left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF), and this view is now called heart failure with normal left ventricular ejection fraction (HFNEF). In some cases, the patient's clinical presentation is as severe as that of patients with heart failure and low ejection fraction, such as patients admitted to the hospital with acute pulmonary edema.

3. Regarding the clinical characteristics of HFNEF patients, the physiological and neurohormonal changes in stable HFNEF patients are roughly the same as those in patients with low ejection fraction, including decreased peak oxygen consumption and increased levels of circulating neurohormones such as brain natriuretic peptide (BNP) and norepinephrine.

4. In conclusion, the existence of HFNEF is now generally accepted. However, there is still much debate about its mechanism. This uncertainty in the mechanism of occurrence is reflected in the change in its name, from the physiologically descriptive name "diastolic heart failure" to the more descriptive name "heart failure with normal ejection fraction". This article summarizes the clinical situation and pathophysiological mechanisms of HFNEF patients and provides guidance for the diagnosis and treatment of HFNEF.