South Med J. 2026 May 4;119(5):252-258. doi: 10.14423/SMJ.0000000000001965.
ABSTRACT
Heart failure (HF) is a global burden and, irrespective of age, sex, race, nationality, and geography, affects individuals across the world. Several reports mentioned that, globally, more than 64 million people, which accounts for 1% to 3% of the total global population, are living with HF. In the United States, approximately 6.7 million people older than 20 years have some form of HF, and it is expected to rise to 8.5 million (approximately 3% of the US population) by 2030. HF was linked to 85,037 deaths in 2021, which was 45.8% higher than in 2011. The direct and indirect healthcare costs to treat and manage HF keep increasing both in the United States and around the world. There are several different classes of therapeutic agents available to treat HF. The current recommended therapies include the following drug classes: renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system inhibitors, angiotensin receptor-neprilysin inhibitor, diuretics, β-blockers, and sodium-glucose cotransporter inhibitors. The present article reviews the pathophysiology of HF and focuses on the Food and Drug Administration-approved HF therapeutic agents and insights from corresponding clinical studies.
PMID:42067386 | DOI:10.14423/SMJ.0000000000001965