Acute coronary syndrome (ACS) is frequently complicated by evidence of heart failure (HF). Those at highest risk for acute decompensated HF in the setting of ACS (ACS-HF) are older, female, and have preexisting heart disease, type 2 diabetes mellitus, hypertension, and/or kidney disease. The presence of ACS-HF is strongly associated with higher mortality and more frequent readmissions, especially for HF. Low implementation of guideline-directed medical therapy has further complicated the clinical care of this high-risk population. Improved utilization of current therapies, coupled with further investigation of strategies to manage ACS-HF, is desperately needed to improve outcomes in this vulnerable population, and the results of currently ongoing or recently concluded ACS-HF studies in this population are of great interest. In this review, we explore the pathophysiology, epidemiology, risk factors, and outcomes for patients with ACS-HF, and describe both existing evidence for management of this challenging condition and areas requiring further research.
Keywords: acute coronary syndrome; acute heart failure; guideline-directed medical therapy; myocardial infarction.
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