With its complicated pathophysiology, high incidence and prevalence, heart failure remains a major public concern. In hopes of improving diagnosis, treatment and prognosis, the utility of many different biomarkers is researched vigorously around the world. In this review, biomarkers of myocardial remodeling and fibrosis (galectin-3, soluble isoform of suppression of tumorigenicity 2, matrix metalloproteinases, osteopontin, interleukin-6, syndecan-4, myostatin, procollagen type I C-terminal propeptide, procollagen type III N-terminal propeptide, vascular endothelial growth factor, nitric oxidase synthetase and asymmetric dimethylarginine), myocyte injury (heart-type fatty acid-binding protein, glutathione S-transferase P1 and heat shock protein 60), as well as iron metabolism (ferritin, transferrin saturation, soluble transferrin receptor and hepcidin), are considered in terms of possible clinical applicability and significance. Our short review consists of a summary of the aforementioned cardiovascular biomarkers’ clinical relevance and perspectives.

Heart failure is a major public health problem and, despite the constantly emerging, new, effective treatments, it remains a leading cause of morbidity and mortality. Reliable tools for early diagnosis and risk stratification are crucial in the management of HF. This explains a growing interest in the development of new biomarkers related to various pathophysiological mechanisms of HF. In the course of this review, we focused on the markers of congestion and renal dysfunction in terms of their interference with cardiovascular homeostasis. Congestion is a hallmark feature of heart failure, contributing to symptoms, morbidity, and hospitalizations of patients with HF and has, therefore, become a therapeutic target in AHF. On the other hand, impaired renal function by altering the volume status contributes to the development and progression of HF and serves as a marker of an adverse clinical outcome. Early detection of congestion and an adequate assessment of renal status are essential for the prompt administration of patient-tailored therapy. This review provides an insight into recent advances in the field of HF biomarkers that could be potentially implemented in diagnosis and risk stratification of patients with HF.