Foreword

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As our population ages, the prevalence of heart failure is increasing. It has now reached a very high level and affects almost 6 million people. About 300,000 people die of heart failure each year. In the Western world, the most common cause of heart failure is the result of atherosclerotic coronary artery disease. Medical therapy has had a beneficial effect on survival and quality of life in those with mild and moderate heart failure and in the quality of life for those with severe heart failure.

However, there are many people with severe heart failure who are clinically relatively easily detected as being in the end stage of the disease, which is labeled medically as “end-stage heart failure.”

The therapy that is most effective in such patients is cardiac transplantation. However, such therapy has limitations, one of which is the “shortage” of donor hearts. Therefore, other therapies such as assist devices are available for the appropriate patients. Also, research using innovative therapies is essential, for example, cell therapy and xenotransplantation.

Dr. Sudhir Kushwaha and his colleagues at the Mayo Clinic Transplant Center are widely recognized as experts in the field. They have put together an outstanding article. It is comprehensive and detailed. It has an exhaustive bibliography of 298 references.

The Editorial Board and I are grateful to them for this superb article.