Therapeutic Innovations for Heart Failure

Abstract

Despite recent understanding of the molecular mechanisms leading to disease progression, treatment of heart failure remains challenging, accompanied by high rates of hospitalization. Although there are specific, well-defined guidelines on pharmacological treatments, morbidity and mortality remain high. This chapter first summarizes fundamental basic mechanisms of cardiac hypertrophy due to increased afterload as well as heart failure as potential complication and provides an update on recent therapeutic approaches. Specifically, here we underline pharmacological, gene therapy, and RNA-based approaches aiming to reduce the severity of symptoms and improving cardiac function in the transition from compensated hypertrophy to myocardial failure. Moreover, we describe the main anti-inflammatory treatments analyzed in clinical trials and their outcomes.