Euvolemia as a criterion of diuretic therapy efficacy in chronic heart failure: Literature review

Abstract

Chronic heart failure (CHF) is a typical outcome for all pathological processes affecting the cardiovascular system and is diagnosed in 1–2% of the population in developed countries. The strategy for managing patients with CHF involves the prescription of diuretics for the relief of volume retention syndrome in addition to pathogenetic pharmacotherapy. Considering the confl icting data concerning the effects of diuretics on the long-term prognosis and clinical course of CHF, a strict approach to the analysis of risk/benefit ratio is necessary while choosing a specific diuretic and determining its optimal dose and duration of use. The article reviews state-of-theart literature on the assessment of hydration status in patients with CHF. The euvolemia state, in which the optimal volume of fl uid is achieved in the body of a patient with CHF is viewed from the perspective of evaluating the efficacy and relevance of diuretic therapy.