End stage heart failure ­ options for medical treatment and beyond

Heart failure is a common disease which is becoming more common. Until ten years ago heart failure was the Cinderella of cardiology overshadowed by the lustre and glitter of its two sisters intervention and technology. That has changed. The two main reasons have been, first, appreciation of the clinical importance of heart failure as a major health care problem and, second, the excitement generated by the introduction of new treatments, advances in biology and availability of surgical options such as transplantation.