[Heart failure after myocardial infarction: diagnosis, treatment, prevention. Echocardiography should be a routine procedure in myocardial infarction].

Post-infarction prognosis is considerably impaired if left ventricular systolic dysfunction and/or symptomatic heart failure develops. As the symptoms of left ventricular dysfunction are often subtle or completely lacking, such patients can be identified only by objective evaluation of left ventricular function. However, as symptoms of heart failure may develop despite normal left ventricular function, objective evaluation of left ventricular function is also important in symptomatic patients, since prognosis is especially poor in the presence of systolic dysfunction. As echocardiography is the most suitable and accessible method in the context, also allowing assessment of cardiac dimensions and valvular function, its extended use in post-infarction patients is imperative. Left ventricular dysfunction should be prevented by adequate measures to limit the extent of infarction and prevent its recurrence. To improve prognosis, the use of ACE (angiotensin converting enzyme) inhibitors should be considered whenever left ventricular dysfunction is present, irrespective of symptomatology. Treatment with amiodarone has recently been shown to reduce mortality among patients with post-infarction heart failure, and should also be considered in such cases, especially if there is a need of antiarrhythmic therapy. Although beta-receptor blockers have well-documented beneficial effects in myocardial infarction, their effect on patients with latent or overt heart failure has not been specifically studied. The use of angiotensin II antagonists in patients with post-infarction heart failure or left ventricular dysfunction is currently under investigation.