A Chronic Inflammatory and Progressive Disease

It occurs when the heart muscle is unable to pump enough blood through the heart to meet the body’s needs for blood and oxygen. The heart tries to make up for this inability. First, it enlarges – enabling it to pump more blood. Second, the heart starts to pump faster to increase its output. Consequently, heart failure usually results in an enlarged heart.

However, the body also tries to compensate for the need for blood and oxygen in other ways. The blood vessels may narrow to keep the blood pressure up (trying to compensate the heart’s loss of power) and blood may be diverted away from less important tissues and organs.

While patients may be able to continue leading a stable life for a few years after the initial episode thanks to optimal medication or to an ICD (Implantable Cardiac Defibrillator) or a CRT-D (Cardiac Resynchronization Therapy) implant, once these measures are no longer effective, a heart transplantation may have to be considered.

Ventricular Assist Devices (VAD) which are very often associated with significant side effects and a statistically short life expectancy may serve at most as a «bridge to transplant», that is, if a donor heart becomes available. Heart failure, therefore, leads to highly invasive, burdensome and costly procedures and in its end stage, ultimately to death. As of today, no therapy, drug or method has been developed and made available to treat heart failure for a patient to lead a normal and mobile life.