Heart failure reviews
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Heart failure reviews · Nov 2013
Review Comparative StudyMyocardial regeneration of the failing heart.
Human heart failure (HF) is one of the leading causes of morbidity and mortality worldwide. Currently, heart transplantation and implantation of mechanical devices represent the only available treatments for advanced HF. Two alternative strategies have emerged to treat patients with HF. ⋯ The remarkable discovery that various populations of cardiac progenitor cells (CPCs) are present in the adult human heart and that it possesses limited regeneration capacity has opened a new era in cardiac repair. Importantly, unlike BM-derived SCs, autologous CPCs from myocardial biopsies cultured and subsequently delivered by coronary injection to patients have given positive results. Although these data are promising, a better understanding of how to control proliferation and differentiation of CPCs, to enhance their recruitment and survival, is required before CPCs become clinically applicable therapeutics.
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Idiopathic giant cell myocarditis (GCM) and cardiac sarcoidosis (CS) are rare disorders that cause cardiomyopathy, often with ventricular arrhythmias or heart block. Infection, autoimmune processes, and genetics have all been implicated in the pathogenesis of these diseases, but the etiology for both diseases is likely a complex multifactorial process. Both GCM and CS are generally progressive despite treatment with standard heart failure and arrhythmia therapies. ⋯ The use of multiple noninvasive imaging modalities may aid in diagnosis and assessment of response to treatment. Establishing the diagnosis of GCM or CS early is crucial, as tailored immunosuppressive treatment may significantly alter the clinical course of these patients. The prognosis of patients with GCM is poor, while the prognosis for patients with CS varies according to degree of left ventricular dysfunction.