Hemodynamic Monitoring in the Diagnosis and Management of Heart Failure, An Issue of Heart Failure Clinics

Heart failure incidence increases with age and because the oldest segment of the population in Western countries is the fastest growing, the prevalence of heart failure is expected to increase. Understanding the signs and symptoms of heart failure is therefore of increasing necessity for physicians. Hemodynamic monitoring provides data on blood flow and pressure to assist physicians in determining the status of the patients heart and in managing heart failure. This issue provides a detailed picture of the various options for assessing hemodynamics, including clinical assessment, echocardiography, transthoracic impedance cardiography, pulmonary artery catheters, B-type natriuretic peptide levels, and implantable devices.