About this Research Topic

Background

Heart failure is an increasingly important cause of morbidity and mortality. Despite a wide range of possible underlying aetiologies and pathophysiological processes, heart failure has traditionally been classified using left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF). However, given its dynamic nature and inability to reflect the underlying aetiologies, it has become apparent that LVEF is insufficient for the phenotyping and risk stratification of heart failure, acute and chronic alike. In recent years, a range of tools including echocardiographic techniques, electrocardiographic findings, and biomarkers have been explored. Nonetheless, an accurate, clinically relevant and easy-to-use tool is still elusive. Phenotypes of both acute and chronic heart failure remain difficult to define meaningfully and accurately, and early identification of high-risk patients, especially in the functional aspects, remain difficult. Additionally, the current understanding of the genetic components in different types of heart failure remains limited.

This research topic thus aims to address the following questions:
1) What are the pathophysiological processes that are critical in differentiating heart failure phenotypes and may have prognostic implications?
2) Which novel approaches and modalities are being developed to identify heart failure phenotypes and high-risk patients, especially in regard to functional outcomes (e.g. quality of life, readmission rates, the ability to carry out independent activities of daily living)?
3) How may experimental and computational models be used in the development of phenotyping and risk stratification tools for heart failure?
4) How do genetics contribute to the pathophysiology of heart failure, and what is its value in prognostication?

We welcome researchers from all experience levels to contribute original investigations, high-quality reviews or meta-analyses, and mini reviews that shed light on our understanding of heart failure phenotypes and development of risk stratification approaches. This may involve basic science studies that help inform the critical and potentially prognostic elements in the pathophysiology of heart failure, innovative imaging tools and biomarkers that provide novel insights into the pathophysiology and improve the risk stratification of heart failure, and/or computational approaches or clinical algorithms that realign currently available tools for phenotyping and risk stratification of heart failure. Insightful opinion pieces or hypotheses papers are also welcomed.

Important note: All contributions to this Research Topic must be within the scope of the section and journal to which they are submitted, as defined in their mission statements. Frontiers reserves the right to guide an out-of-scope manuscript to a more suitable section or journal at any stage of peer review.

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