Evaluating and Managing Adults with Chronic Heart Failure

Sponsoring Organizations: developed by the American Heart Association and the American College of Cardiology with the International Society of Heart and Lung Transplantation; endorsed by . . .

Sponsoring Organizations: developed by the American Heart Association and the American College of Cardiology with the International Society of Heart and Lung Transplantation; endorsed by the Heart Failure Society of America

Background and Purpose: This revision of the 1995 guidelines defines heart failure as a symptomatic and progressive disorder associated with evolving structural abnormalities of cardiac muscle. The revision reflects advances in pharmacologic and nonpharmacologic HF treatments and establishes a new classification system for the disease.

The New System: The Stages of Heart Failure

Stage A: high risk for developing HF; normal heart structure

Stage B: structural disorder of the heart; no previous or current HF symptoms

Stage C: p…

Reviewing Author

William T. Abraham, MD