Are Hospitalized or Ambulatory Patients with Heart Failure Treated in Accordance with European Society of Cardiology Guidelines? Evidence from 12 440 Patients of the ESC Heart Failure Long-Term Registry

This pan-European registry shows that, while in patients with acute HF, a large heterogeneity of treatments exists, drug treatment of chronic HF can be considered largely adherent to recommendations of current guidelines, when the reasons for non-adherence are taken into account. Observations regarding the real possibility to adhere fully to current guidelines in daily clinical practice should be seriously considered when clinical practice guidelines have to be written.