HYPONATREMIA AND ITS MANAGEMENT IN PATIENTS WITH HEART FAILURE

In this review the new approaches of medical treatment of heart failure are discussed. Hyponatremia represents one of pathogenetic pathways of heart failure symptoms progression and results from the relative excess of water compared to sodium. Arginine-vasopressin antagonists have a potency to prevent hyperntremia and suppress neurohumoral overactivity mechanisms. Results of several trials, which showed clinical benefit of these agents in patients with chronic heart failure, are discussed in this article.