[Heart failure in 2006].

This article are summarizes the most relevant articles in the field of heart failure including epidemiology, diagnostic and therapeutic issues. Therapy includes drugs, cardiac resinchronization therapy, automatic implantable defibrillator, heart transplantation and cell therapy. Stem cell therapy is feasible and short term data indicates it is safe. However there are unresolved concerns on arrhythmias, restenosis and efficacy. At this point experts recommend that medium-sized randomized controlled trials, using surrogate endpoints, should be carried out to establish the efficacy and safety of this form of treatment.