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Cardiology and Therapy
Published in: Cardiology and Therapy 2/2020

Open Access 01-12-2020 | Heart Failure | Review

Myocardial Fibrosis in Heart Failure: Anti-Fibrotic Therapies and the Role of Cardiovascular Magnetic Resonance in Drug Trials

Authors: Matthew Webber, Stephen P. Jackson, James C. Moon, Gabriella Captur

Published in: Cardiology and Therapy | Issue 2/2020

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Abstract

All heart muscle diseases that cause chronic heart failure finally converge into one dreaded pathological process that is myocardial fibrosis. Myocardial fibrosis predicts major adverse cardiovascular events and death, yet we are still missing the targeted therapies capable of halting and/or reversing its progression. Fundamentally it is a problem of disproportionate extracellular collagen accumulation that is part of normal myocardial ageing and accentuated in certain disease states. In this article we discuss the role of cardiovascular magnetic resonance (CMR) imaging biomarkers to track fibrosis and collate results from the most promising animal and human trials of anti-fibrotic therapies to date. We underscore the ever-growing role of CMR in determining the efficacy of such drugs and encourage future trialists to turn to CMR when designing their surrogate study endpoints.
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Metadata
Title
Myocardial Fibrosis in Heart Failure: Anti-Fibrotic Therapies and the Role of Cardiovascular Magnetic Resonance in Drug Trials
Authors
Matthew Webber
Stephen P. Jackson
James C. Moon
Gabriella Captur
Publication date
01-12-2020
Publisher
Springer Healthcare
Published in
Cardiology and Therapy / Issue 2/2020
Print ISSN: 2193-8261
Electronic ISSN: 2193-6544
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1007/s40119-020-00199-y

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