A review of heart failure treatment.

Heart failure is a common and costly medical condition. Ischemic heart disease and hypertension account for most cases of heart failure in developed countries. Estimates of the one-year mortality rates for patients with New York Heart Association (NYHA) Class II, III, and IV are 10%, 20%, and 40%, respectively. Angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors reduce mortality of heart failure patients by approximately 25% (odds ratio 0.77, 95% CI …