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The Autonomic Nervous System in Congestive Heart Failure

The Autonomic Nervous System in Congestive Heart Failure Congestive heart failure is a complex clinical syndrome characterized by striking abnormalities of the autonomic nervous system. The mechanisms and biological importance of these disturbances are not clearly defined. Nonetheless, it is possible that autonomic disturbances play an important role in the pathophysiology and prognosis of heart failure, and therefore drugs that alter autonomic function may provide additional therapeutic options in the management of this syndrome. INTRODUCTION Whereas deaths from coronary disease and stroke are rapidly declining, congestive heart failure is a problem of growing magnitude in the United States (1). It is estimated that each year 200,000 people die from heart failure in this country (2). Most physicians have a well-conceived concept of just what congestive heart failure is, yet the complexities of the syndrome do not allow it to be easily defined. There is no single laboratory index that measures or defines heart failure. Heart failure is characterized by a series of compensatory responses designed to maintain perfusion pressure (3) and redistribute flow (4). We do not understand the signal that is principally responsible for activating these responses, but it is likely that some integration of pressure, flow, and blood volume is involved. The sites where http://www.deepdyve.com/assets/images/DeepDyve-Logo-lg.png Annual Review of Medicine Annual Reviews

The Autonomic Nervous System in Congestive Heart Failure

Annual Review of Medicine , Volume 37 (1) – Feb 1, 1986

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Publisher
Annual Reviews
Copyright
Copyright 1986 Annual Reviews. All rights reserved
Subject
Review Articles
ISSN
0066-4219
eISSN
1545-326X
DOI
10.1146/annurev.me.37.020186.001315
pmid
2871803
Publisher site
See Article on Publisher Site

Abstract

Congestive heart failure is a complex clinical syndrome characterized by striking abnormalities of the autonomic nervous system. The mechanisms and biological importance of these disturbances are not clearly defined. Nonetheless, it is possible that autonomic disturbances play an important role in the pathophysiology and prognosis of heart failure, and therefore drugs that alter autonomic function may provide additional therapeutic options in the management of this syndrome. INTRODUCTION Whereas deaths from coronary disease and stroke are rapidly declining, congestive heart failure is a problem of growing magnitude in the United States (1). It is estimated that each year 200,000 people die from heart failure in this country (2). Most physicians have a well-conceived concept of just what congestive heart failure is, yet the complexities of the syndrome do not allow it to be easily defined. There is no single laboratory index that measures or defines heart failure. Heart failure is characterized by a series of compensatory responses designed to maintain perfusion pressure (3) and redistribute flow (4). We do not understand the signal that is principally responsible for activating these responses, but it is likely that some integration of pressure, flow, and blood volume is involved. The sites where

Journal

Annual Review of MedicineAnnual Reviews

Published: Feb 1, 1986

There are no references for this article.