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Autonomic Dysregulation as a Therapeutic Target for Acute HF

Current Treatment Options in Cardiovascular Medicine volume 17, Article number: 43 (2015) Cite this article

Opinion statement

Despite major advances that have led to effective therapeutic modalities for the treatment of heart failure (HF), this syndrome has continued to be a staggering health problem associated with significant mortality and morbidity. The increasing number of hospital admissions and readmissions related to acute HF continues to pose a fiscal challenge leading to constant interest in development of novel approaches. These point to multiple areas of unmet needs especially in acute HF, thus, necessitating further efforts to develop novel strategies for prevention and treatment of acute HF. One area of continuing focus is targeting the role of autonomic imbalance associated with the development of HF. Autonomic dysregulation, manifested by increased sympathetic drive and reduced parasympathetic activity, has been recognized as a mediator of increased mortality and morbidity in HF and myocardial infarction. Furthermore, vagal withdrawal has been shown to precede acute decompensation, though whether this represents cause or effect is unknown. This review discusses the potential role of autonomic dysregulation as a therapeutic modality for patients with acute decompensated HF.

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Anju Bhardwaj declares no potential conflicts of interest.

Mark E. Dunlap reports grants from Medtronic, Inc. and BioControl Medical, Inc.

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  1. Heart and Vascular Center, MetroHealth Campus of Case Western Reserve University, 2500 MetroHealth Drive, Cleveland, OH, 44109, USA

    Anju Bhardwaj MD & Mark E. Dunlap MD

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  1. Anju Bhardwaj MD
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Correspondence to Mark E. Dunlap MD.

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This article is part of the Topical Collection on Heart Failure

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Bhardwaj, A., Dunlap, M.E. Autonomic Dysregulation as a Therapeutic Target for Acute HF. Curr Treat Options Cardio Med 17, 43 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11936-015-0403-0

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Keywords

  • HF
  • Sympathetic nervous system
  • Parasympathetic nervous system
  • Autonomic control