Volume assessment in heart failure - a review

Abstract

Heart failure represents a significant medical and economic burden and is also an important cause of mortality and morbidity. The advances in treating coronary artery disease mainly pertaining to modern invasive cardiology significantly reduced the mortality from coronary atherosclero­sis, but on the other side caused an increase in incidence and prevalence of congestive heart failure. Heart failure is a disease of the elderly. In that population the incidence is 10 in 1000 patients older than 65 years and has a high five-year mortality despite all modern treatment modalities.(1).