Right ventricular failure
Summary
Cardiac insufficiency generally refers to a dysfunction of the left ventricle of the heart. In patients with congenital heart defects, however, it is often the right ventricle, the right atrium and the pulmonary circulation that are affected. The condition has many causes. Right ventricular failure often does not present clinical signs until a late stage of the disease, at which point it is already well advanced.
In recent years it has been demonstrated that, in patients with left heart dysfunction, the stimulation of certain endogenous substances may be a significant factor in the development of left cardiac insufficiency. Consequently, left cardiac insufficiency can nowadays be successfully treated with beta blockers or other similar medication. Very little is yet known about the effect of modern drugs on right cardiac insufficiency. These studies set out to investigate whether the same basic mechanisms underlie both forms of cardiac insufficiency. If this hypothesis is confirmed, it will be possible to treat right cardiac insufficiency at an earlier stage and with better results than before.
This multi-centric study is being carried out in partnership with numerous clinics in Germany that provide medical care for patients with congenital heart defects. All results are entered in a central database and evaluated jointly by the members of the network.
