Heart failure is an increasingly common diagnosis, with a dismal prognosis that is worse even than many types of cancer (Ho et al., 1993) . There are few therapeutic options. The estimated cost of heart failure is currently between 1-2% of the total healthcare spend in developed economies and is expected to rise (McMurray and Stewart, 2000) . Clinical presentation may be insidious or acute, with decreased exercise tolerance and shortness of breath. Cardiac arrhythmias may accompany heart

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... , leading to high rates of sudden death. Current treatment includes simultaneous administration of angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors (acting principally by vasodilatation),  blockers (slowing the heart rate) and spironolactone (vasodilatation and diuresis). This combination reduces death resulting from heart failure, but these drugs do not 'cure' the condition. There are no truly 'disease modifying' drugs for heart failure. Many conditions eventually lead to heart failure (Table 1 ), several of which are associated with each other, such as hypertension, obesity and diabetes, as exemplified in