Biomarkers for Congestion in Heart Failure: State-of-the-art and Future Directions.

Abstract

Congestion in patients with heart failure (HF) predicts adverse outcomes and is a leading cause of hospitalisation. Understanding congestion mechanisms helps in HF management and underscores the importance of tailored therapies to treat vascular and tissue congestion, improving patient outcomes. In this setting, several tools are available to detect congestion. Biomarker measurement is a simple, valid and affordable method to evaluate congestion in patients with HF. Natriuretic peptides are the most widely available tool in acute and chronic HF, helping diagnosis, risk stratification and management. Novel biomarkers can potentially become reliable allies in diagnosing and monitoring patients with HF. This review aims to assess the current scientific literature on biomarkers for managing HF, evaluate their clinical utility and explore future perspectives in this field.