Contemporary use of devices in heart failure.

Devices have become a cornerstone of heart failure (HF) therapy. Implantable cardioverter-defibrillators (ICDs) decrease mortality, and cardiac resynchronization therapy (CRT) improves symptoms and mortality. Most data have been collected in patients with systolic dysfunction. Data in patients with preserved systolic function are scarce, but interesting therapeutic concepts are evolving. Besides therapeutic functions, devices can have add-on diagnostic features such as early detection of fluid overload. In addition, stand-alone diagnostic devices are now also being developed for HF.