Clinical Research Directory

Inclusion Criteria: 1. Patients acutely admitted at the Department of Cardiology of AHEPA University General Hospital, Thessaloniki, Greece with symptoms and/or signs of heart failure (HF), as those are defined by the European Society of Cardiology. 2. Patients with abnormal plasma concentration of N-terminal pro-B-type natriuretic peptide, measured within 24 hours from admission 3. Objective echocardiographic evidence of cardiac structural and/or functional abnormalities consistent with the presence of left ventricular (LV) systolic dysfunction/diastolic dysfunction/raised LV filling pressures upon admission assessment Exclusion Criteria: 1. Symptoms and/or signs of HF secondary to congenital heart disease, infective endocarditis, pericardial disease, and history of recent cardiac surgery (\<1 month) 2. Patients receiving maintenance hemodialysis 3. Patients with active malignancy and/or life expectancy \< 1 year 4. Poor echocardiographic acoustic windows precluding reliable assessment and/or analysis 5. Heart transplantation 6. Patients not providing informed written consent to participate in the study