Heart failure with mid-range left ventricular ejection fraction: New entity?

Abstract

Currently, a new classification of patients with heart failure (HF) according to the left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF), the HF with mid-range LVEF (HFmrEF) between 40 and 49% is described. This is included in the previous classification of HF with LVEF greater than 50% or preserved LVEF (HFpEF) and HF with reduced LVEF (HFrEF), less than 40%. This new group of patients represents between 16-20% of patients with HF, thus, since its publication, there have been several studies interested in discovering the characteristics of these. After reviewing the studies that we currently have, we can draw some conclusions regarding those with HFmrEF, which share clinical, epidemiological and etiological characteristics with the other two patterns (HFpEF and HFrEF); therefore, it is possible that the HFmrEF represents more a transitional state between HFrEF and HFpEF than an independent entity in itself. Patients with HFpEF do not show differences in mortality compared to the other two groups, except in those with ischemic heart disease in whom mortality is similar to that in patients with HFrEF. It is recommended to treat those who have HFmrEF in a similar way to those with HFpEF, although it has been observed that the former benefit from a treatment similar to those with HFrEF.