美国心脏病学会(Acc)/美国心脏协会(Aha)推荐新的心力
WESTPORT, CT (Reuters Health) - The American College of Cardiology (ACC) and the American Heart Association (AHA) have released a new classification system for heart failure designed to be used along with the New York Heart Association (NYHA) functional class system.
"This document focuses on heart failure in a very different way than the original 1995 version," Dr. Sharon Hunt from Stanford University, California and chair of the guideline committee said in a ACC statement. "By incorporating the new classification system, the revised guidelines focus on the evolution and progression of chronic heart failure."
Under the new system, heart failure is defined in stages A to D. Patients in stage "A" are asymptomatic and have no heart damage, but have risk factors for heart failure. Those classified as being in stage "B" are asymptomatic, but have signs of structural heart damage. Patients in stage "C" are those with heart damage and have symptoms, while those in stage "D" have endstage disease.
"Patients in stages A and B would all be categorized as NYHA class I because the
patients are asymptomatic," Dr. Hunt said.
The ACC/AHA system uses concepts common to cancer staging. For example, even though treatment may make cancer disappear, the patient is still classified as a cancer patient.
Similarly, "patients who cross the line from asymptomatic disease and, despite our best efforts, develop symptoms, irrevocably cross into stage C. A patient's symptoms might get better with treatment and go back to NYHA class I, but the patient will still be in stage C of the ACC/AHA classification system," Dr. Hunt explained.
The guidelines also take into account the benefits derived from angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors and beta-blockers.
The new guidelines are available online at www.acc.org or www.americanheart.org and will be published in the December issue of The Journal of the American College of Cardiology and in the December 11th issue of Circulation: Journal of the American Heart Association.
-Westport Newsroom 203 319 2700, 百拇医药
"This document focuses on heart failure in a very different way than the original 1995 version," Dr. Sharon Hunt from Stanford University, California and chair of the guideline committee said in a ACC statement. "By incorporating the new classification system, the revised guidelines focus on the evolution and progression of chronic heart failure."
Under the new system, heart failure is defined in stages A to D. Patients in stage "A" are asymptomatic and have no heart damage, but have risk factors for heart failure. Those classified as being in stage "B" are asymptomatic, but have signs of structural heart damage. Patients in stage "C" are those with heart damage and have symptoms, while those in stage "D" have endstage disease.
"Patients in stages A and B would all be categorized as NYHA class I because the
patients are asymptomatic," Dr. Hunt said.
The ACC/AHA system uses concepts common to cancer staging. For example, even though treatment may make cancer disappear, the patient is still classified as a cancer patient.
Similarly, "patients who cross the line from asymptomatic disease and, despite our best efforts, develop symptoms, irrevocably cross into stage C. A patient's symptoms might get better with treatment and go back to NYHA class I, but the patient will still be in stage C of the ACC/AHA classification system," Dr. Hunt explained.
The guidelines also take into account the benefits derived from angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors and beta-blockers.
The new guidelines are available online at www.acc.org or www.americanheart.org and will be published in the December issue of The Journal of the American College of Cardiology and in the December 11th issue of Circulation: Journal of the American Heart Association.
-Westport Newsroom 203 319 2700, 百拇医药