Epidemiology of "Heart Failure with Recovered Ejection Fraction": What do we do After Recovery?

Improvement in functional status, long-term survival, and quality of life has always been the goal of therapy in patients with heart failure with reduced ejection fraction. Neurohormonal modulating medications help patients achieve these goals and, in a subgroup of patients, can promote "reverse remodeling" resulting in the recovery of left ventricular systolic function. In the era of durable mechanical support, myocardial recovery that leads to explantation of the ventricular assist device occurs in a minority of cases. Optimal medical therapy appears to be a key component of achieving myocardial recovery, with recovery more likely in patients with a shorter duration of heart failure and a non-ischemic etiology. However, little is known about future management of patients who attain myocardial recovery, either with or without mechanical support. This review explores the epidemiology, physiology, cellular biology, and long-term outcomes for this subgroup of heart failure patients and outlines areas for future study.