European Cardiology Volume 8 - Issue 1 - Spring 2012

Welcome to European Cardiology – Volume 8 Issue 1. In this issue’s Heart Failure special focus, James Januzzi and colleagues contribute an article entitled ‘Using Natriuretic Peptides to ‘Guide’ Therapy in Heart Failure’. The authors note that an intriguing synergy between BNP and NT-proBNP with respect to therapy response has been observed, which has led to the intriguing concept of their use to unlock a personalised, optimal strategy for heart failure management. Elsewhere, Hans Joachim Nesser reviews the current status of wall motion tracking and activation imaging for patients with heart failure. Professor Nesser notes that whereas conventional echocardiographic techniques are of limited value in defining mechanical dyssynchrony, newer developments, such as 2D and 3D speckle tracking, have been shown to have significant potential to define the latest site of mechanical activation.