Dear Colleagues,

Heart failure (HF) is a heterogeneous, multifactorial, and progressive syndrome caused by pathological, structural, and functional heart changes that lead to myocardial dysfunction, circulatory failure, and organ congestion.  On the basis of left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) values and on other parameters, HF is currently categorized as follows: HF with reduced ejection fraction (HFrEF); HF with mid-range ejection fraction (HFmrEF); and HF with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF). For patients diagnosed with HFrEF and HFmrEF, there are currently therapies that reduce mortality and hospitalization, but for HFpEF patients, there are no evidence-based treatments currently available.

The prevalence of HF is expected to increase dramatically over the next 20 years due to the progressive aging of the population, improved therapy, and survival after acute cardiovascular events, as well as the increased incidence of risk factors such as hypertension, atrial fibrillation, coronary heart disease, diabetes, obesity, etc.

The main pathological mechanisms observed in HF include hemodynamic overload, ischemic dysfunction, ventricular remodeling, excessive neurohumoral stimulation, abnormal myocyte calcium cycling, excessive or inadequate proliferation of the extracellular matrix, accelerated apoptosis, and genetic mutations. Furthermore, the involvement of inflammation and oxidative stress in the development and progression of HF has been emphasized. However, there is still an increased need for research in order to understand the mechanisms and signaling pathways involved in the pathophysiology of HF. New therapies that target pathologic processes, such as neurohumoral activation, mytocondrial dysfunction, oxidative stress, inflammation, and endothelial dysfunction, have great potential for identifying potentially useful drugs.

For this Special Issue of Biomolecules, “New Pharmacological and Pathophysiological Approaches in Heart Failure”, we encourage the submission of primary research and review articles that shed light on the pathophysiological mechanisms of HF and evaluate different treatment options, either in preclinical or in clinical settings.

Dr. Cristina Pop
Prof. Cristina Mogosan
Dr. Steliana Ghibu
Guest Editors

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• heart failure
• HFpEF
• HFmrEF
• HFrEF
• signaling pathways
• oxidative stress
• animal models
• clinical trials