Prevalence of Lactic Acidaemia in Patients with Advanced Heart Failure and Depressed Cardiac Output

Abstract

Lactate levels were normal in ∼75% of the patients with advanced heart failure and a widened A-V O₂ , suggesting that the cardiac output was sufficient to meet the metabolic needs of the peripheral metabolizing tissues. Given that ∼4% of heart failure patients are in NYHA class IV, these findings suggest that the classic definition of heart failure pertains to ∼1% of patients with HF.