[Epidemiology and treatment of chronic heart failure; use of bisoprolol].

The prevalence of chronic heart failure in Hungary is 1.6% in the adult population, but it occurs in 15-20% of subjects over 80 years of age. The base of treatment of heart failure is the blockade of the neuro-hormonal system, which includes the use of angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitors (angiotensin receptor blockers in case of angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitors intolerance), beta receptor blockers and mineralocorticoid receptor antagonists. Because of their negative inotropic effect, beta blockers were neglected for a long time from the treatment of heart failure. However, during the past decades several studies have demonstrated that beta blockers decrease mortality in patients with heart failure. The effectiveness of bisoprolol in reducing mortality has also also been documented in a number of studies.