Mechanism of physical intolerance in patients with chronic heart failure

Abstract

During the last five years the number of patients with chronic heart failure has increased from 38% to 54 %. The interest in such disease arises owing to the increase of life expectancy and the resultant increase in the population with chronic heart failure, in particular with preserved ejection fraction. The pathophysiologic alterations marking the progression of the set of symptoms that characterize heart failure have yet to be clearly determined and are under active investigation. In our review we tried to show the main mechanisms which are responsible for the development of symptoms in the patient with chronic heart failure. The most principle of them are: muscle fatigue, exercise intolerance and breathlessness. The pathophysiologic and pathogenetic mechanisms of these symptoms in the case of decreased ejection fraction and preserved ejection fraction of the left ventricle was comprehensivelly covered. Refs 46.