Rationales and choices for the treatment of patients with NYHA class II heart failure

Heart failure (HF) in the United States represents a significant burden for patients and a tremendous strain on the healthcare system. Patients receiving a diagnosis of HF can be placed into 1 of 4 New York Heart Association (NYHA) functional classifications; the greatest proportion of patients are in the NYHA class II category, which is defined as patients having a slight limitation of physical activity but who are comfortable at rest, and for whom ordinary physical activity results in symptoms of HF. Because the severity of NYHA class II HF may be perceived as mild or unalarming by this definition, the urgency to treat this type of HF may be overlooked. However, these patients are optimal candidates for active intervention because their HF is at a critical point on the disease progression continuum when untoward changes can be halted or reversed. This review discusses the physiological consequences of NYHA class II HF with reduced ejection fraction and describes recent clinical trials that have demonstrated a therapeutic benefit for patients in this population. In doing so, we hope to establish that patients with NYHA class II disease merit careful attention and to provide reassurance to the treating community that options are available for these patients.