Clinical Evidence of the Role of Histamine in Heart Failure.

T he existence of histamine receptors and histamine in the heart has been known since at least the 1940s (1) and cloning of human histamine receptors began around the 1990s (2). Nevertheless, developments relating to histamine have not been highlighted. Also, its role in cardiovascular physiology, such as in the renin–angiotensin or the sympathetic nervous system where it is central to understanding the pathophysiology of chronic heart failure (CHF), is not well understood. The investigation by Leary et al. (3) in this issue of the Journal attempts to shed light on histamine in relation to cardiovascular disease (CVD).