Guidelines for the diagnosis and treatment of chronic heart failure: executive summary (update 2005)

The aim of these guidelines is to provide updated practical
guidelines for the diagnosis, assessment, and treatment
of heart failure for use in clinical practice, as well as
for epidemiological surveys and clinical trials. Particular
attention in this update has been allocated to diastolic
function and heart failure with preserved left ventricular
ejection fraction (PLVEF). The intention has been to
merge the previous Task Force report4 with the present
update.
The Guidelines are intended as a support for practising
physicians and other health care professionals concerned
with the management of heart failure patients and to
provide advice on how to manage these patients, including
recommendations for referral. Documented and published
evidence on diagnosis, efficacy, and safety is the main basis
for these guidelines.