[Cheyne-Stokes respiration and heart failure: pathophysiological and clinical implications].

The search for the presence of Cheyne-Stokes respiration should be introduced into the routine diagnostic process in heart failure patients, owing to its clinical and prognostic implications. The analysis of this specific alteration of the respiratory pattern could contribute both to the understanding of its pathophysiological role, and to the discovery of specific treatments for heart failure patients, characterized by poor prognosis, despite optimal conventional treatment.