Cardiac Imaging in the Diagnosis and Management of Heart Failure
Mayuresh Chaudhari, Mahi L. Ashwath
Abstract
Heart failure (HF) is a complex clinical syndrome that results from any structural or functional impairment of ventricular filling or ejection of blood. The etiology of heart failure is multifactorial, encompassing ischemic heart disease, hypertension, valvular disorders, cardiomyopathies, and metabolic and infiltrative diseases. Despite advances in pharmacologic and device-based therapies, heart failure continues to carry a substantial burden of morbidity, mortality, and healthcare utilization. With the advancement and increased accessibility of cardiac imaging modalities, the diagnostic accuracy for identifying the underlying etiologies of nonischemic cardiomyopathy has significantly improved, allowing for more precise classification and tailored management strategies. This review aims to provide a comprehensive analysis of the current understanding of heart failure, encompassing epidemiology, etiological factors, with a specific focus on diagnostic imaging modalities including the role of echocardiography and strain imaging, cardiac magnetic resonance imaging (CMR), cardiac computed tomography (CT), and nuclear positron emission tomography (PET) imaging and recent advances in the diagnosis and management of heart failure.