PATIENTS WITH CONGESTIVE HEART FAILURE Patients are included if presenting with decompensated heart failure. They must have symptoms of heart failure (dyspnoea and/ or oedema) severe enough to warrant in-patient treatment. The diagnosis must be confirmed by echocardiography showing LVEF ≤ 40%. Patients are excluded if suffering from unstable ischaemic heart disease (unstable angina or myocardial infarction) or atrial fibrillation.