Congenital heart disease and heart failure.

The syndrome of heart failure in adult non-congenital heart disease patients includes myocardial disease and ventricular dysfunction. In the presence of congenital abnormalities the cause of heart failure is often multi-factorial and can be a result of the underlying anomaly, surgical intervention, or ventricular dysfunction. Despite the possible clinical similarities, the two conditions are fundamentally different. In congenital heart disease the neurohormonal system is already abnormal even in the absence of clinical manifestations of heart failure and, in many cases, exercise intolerance is related to cyanosis. The approach to heart failure management in the two etiologies might be similar. Preventative attempts to preserve ventricular function in coronary or valve disease parallels early reparative therapy in congenital heart disease Pharmacological therapy is common for the two conditions, despite the limited number of evidence-based recommendations for congenital diseases. In drug-resistant patients, cardiac electrical resynchronization is an established therapy for treating ventricular asynchrony in non-congenital heart failure sufferers, but has only recently been adopted in selected congenital cases. Due to this, congenital heart disease patients are managed in highly specialized unites in close cooperation with cardiologists and surgeons. The ideal follow-up protocol for such patients remains to be determined, particularly in those individuals with subclinical signs of residual cardiac dysfunction. Heart Fail Monit 2008;6(1):2-8.