ATHEROSCLEROSIS / STATE OF THE ART PAPER
Atherosclerosis features in patients with heart failure
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1
Grigore T. Popa University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Romania
2
University of Belgrade, Faculty of Medicine, Institute of Hygiene and Medical Ecology, Serbia
3
First Department of Cardiology, Medical University of Silesia, Katowice, Poland
4
University Hospital Center Mother Teresa, Albania
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State Institution “V.P. Komisarenko Institute of Endocrinology and Metabolism of the National Academy of Medical Sciences of Ukraine”, Ukraine
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Department of Internal Medicine, Cantonal Hospital Zenica, Bosnia and Herzegovina
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Department of Functional Diagnostic, East-Slovak Institute of Cardiovascular Diseases, Slovak Republic
8
Internal Medicine Department, Division of Cardiology, Hawassa University, Ethiopia
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Department for Invasive and Interventional Cardiology, City General Hospital “8th of September”, North Macedonia
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Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, University of Catania, Italy
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Department of Preventive Cardiology and Lipidology, Medical University of Lodz (MUL), Poland
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Center for Atherosclerosis and Cardiovascular Diseases Prevention, Collegium Medicum, John Paul II Catholic University of Lublin, Lublin, Poland
13
Weill Medical College of Cornell University, New York, United States
Submission date: 2025-06-22
Final revision date: 2025-07-08
Acceptance date: 2025-07-17
Online publication date: 2025-07-17
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ABSTRACT
Heart failure (HF) and atherosclerosis represent two major cardiovascular diseases that are intricately linked, both contributing significantly to global morbidity, mortality, and healthcare burden. Despite substantial progress in diagnostic methods and therapeutic strategies, the overall impact of these conditions remains considerable. This is largely due to their complex and overlapping pathophysiological mechanisms, persistent residual atherosclerotic risk, and the ongoing challenges associated with implementing guideline-directed medical therapy for HF in routine clinical practice. Recent advancements in the management of diverse HF phenotypes, lipid abnormalities, atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD), and obesity have facilitated the adoption of multidrug regimens. These include beta-blockers, renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system inhibitors, and sodium-glucose cotransporter 2 (SGLT2) inhibitors, glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1), which have collectively improved outcomes in HF populations. This review aims to elucidate the shared pathophysiological mechanisms linking these conditions and to examine their clinical overlap with ischemic heart disease, cerebrovascular disease, peripheral arterial disease, dyslipidemia, and obesity.