The Role of Biomarkers in Heart Failure with Preserved Ejection Fraction

Introduction

A large proportion of patients with heart failure (HF) have preserved left ventricle (LV) ejection fraction (HFpEF) or slightly reduced systolic function. Although specific cutoff recommendations are constantly evolving, the European Society of Cardiology (ESC) has recently proposed the term HF with mildly reduced ejection fraction (HFmrEF) for values between 40–49% and HFpEF for ejection fraction ≥ 50%. In the past, different cutoffs were used in studies of HFpEF, ranging from 40% to 55%. Additionally, there is significant overlap between HFpEF and HFmrEF. For these reasons, in this chapter we consider them as a whole.

HFpEF is associated with many comorbidities and has a high rate of morbidity and mortality, both in ambulatory and in-hospital cohorts.^– HFpEF is a heterogeneous syndrome with diverse etiologies and phenotypes and different pathophysiological pathways, which are not fully understood.^, Circulating biomarkers may represent important tools to aid in the diagnosis and prognosis of this condition.^,

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