GHRL and heart failure: As the original discovery of ghrelin as a peptide with orexigenic properties6, it soon became evident that this molecule also exerts beneficial function in the cardiovascular system, including improved inotropic response, cardioprotection and reduction of the inflammatory response (reviewed in ref. 51); patients with heart failure receiving acyl ghrelin (intravenous, twice a day for 3 weeks) showed significantly improved cardiac function52.