Arq Bras Cardiol: Imagem cardiovasc. 2022; 35(2): ecard06

What do Cardiologists Expect from the Echocardiogram in Heart Failure with Reduced Ejection Fraction?

DOI: 10.47593/2675-312X/20223502ecard06

Introduction

The echocardiogram plays a central role in assessments of patients with heart failure (HF), contributing to its classification, etiology definition, severity stratification, hemodynamic assessment, and clinical follow-up. HF has been historically divided according to the echocardiographic parameter left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF). The most recent classification divided it into preserved (≥50%), reduced (≤40%), and slightly reduced LVEF (41–49%).^, Different societies have recently proposed a universal definition of HF that involves the presence of symptoms and signs caused by structural and/or functional cardiac changes associated with increased natriuretic peptide levels or objective evidence of congestion. The authors also highlight the importance of classifying HF according to LVEF. () This article will describe the main parameters which the clinical cardiologist should pay attention on the echocardiogram of patients with HF with reduced ejection fraction (HFrEF) and how best to use them in clinical practice.

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