Heart Failure

Heart failure occurs when the heart cannot pump as much blood as the body requires. This ineffective pumping can lead to enlargement of the heart as the myocardium works harder pump the same amount of blood. Heart failure may be caused by defects in the myocardium, such as an a heart attack infarct, or due to structural issues such as severe heart valve regurgitation. Heart failure can be divided into HF with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF), and HF with reduced ejection fraction (HFrEF). The disease is further divided into four New York Heart Association (NYHA) classes. Stage IV heart failure is when the heart is completely failing and requires a heart transplant or hemodynamic support from a left ventricular assist device (LVAD).

Cardiologists and surgeons perform world’s first robot-assisted TEER
A 62-year-old women presented with severe MR and recurrent heart failure episodes. Initial data suggest the procedure was a success.
Confirmed: AFib ablation more beneficial for patients with HFrEF than those with HFpEF
Researchers explored data from nearly 2,500 AFib ablation patients, sharing their findings in JAMA Cardiology.
Statin therapy may help HFpEF patients lower their risk of death, heart attack or stroke
All participants were free of ASCVD and had no history of statin use at the start of the study.
Diabetic cardiomyopathy treatment shows promise in ARISE-HF
James Januzzi Jr., MD, said the treatment's overall impact was neutral, but he and his team saw "a very clear and encouraging signal."
Keto diet ‘does not fulfill the criteria of a healthy diet,’ could be harmful for heart patients
The popular high-fat, low-carb diet is associated with multiple short-term benefits, but they appear to diminish over time.

Clinical risk score helps predict stroke and death in heart failure patients

A clinical risk score helped predict the risk of ischemic stroke, thromboembolism and death in patients with heart failure, according to an analysis of three nationwide registries in Denmark. However, the researchers noted the predictive accuracy was modest.

August 28, 2015

Nearly 90% of patients with heart failure are not referred to cardiac rehabilitation

Only 10 percent of patients with heart failure were referred to cardiac rehabilitation after hospital discharge between 2005 and 2014, according to a database analysis. Although the referral rates were higher in recent years, the researchers noted that they expected more people to be told to attend cardiac rehabilitation sessions.

August 19, 2015

Symptoms persist in patients hospitalized for heart failure

A large percentage of patients hospitalized for heart failure at Yale-New Haven hospital had symptoms such as anxiety and pain that are typically not associated with the condition, according to a prospective study. The researchers also found that patients often did not have improvements in symptom severity after getting discharged.

August 17, 2015

Moderate levels of physical activity may reduce heart failure risk in men

After a mean follow-up of 13 years, Swedish men who had moderate levels of physical activity had a lower risk of heart failure compared with those who had high or low activity levels, according to a population-based cohort study.

August 14, 2015

FDA warns of serious adverse events with LVADs

The FDA warned of serious adverse events associated with certain left ventricular assist devices (LVADs), which are implanted in patients with advanced heart failure.

August 5, 2015

Social media sites growing in popularity for LVAD patients and caregivers

Since former Vice President Dick Cheney had a left ventricular assist device (LVAD) implanted in 2012, general interest in the devices have increased and social media sites have included more information on them.

August 5, 2015

Data shows the CardioMEMS HF System adds incremental benefit when combined with device therapy and is cost effective

St. Jude Medical, Inc., a global medical device company, today announced important new data presented during the Heart Rhythm Society's (HRS) 36th annual Scientific Session supporting improved outcomes and cost-effectiveness of the CardioMEMS™ HF System for the management of Class III heart failure patients.

May 15, 2015

FDA approves investigational study for new smaller SynCardia Total Artificial Heart

SynCardia Systems, Inc. has received FDA approval to conduct an Investigational Device Exemption (IDE) clinical study on the effective use of its 50cc SynCardia temporary Total Artificial Heart.

March 31, 2015

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Heart Failure

Cardiologists and surgeons perform world’s first robot-assisted TEER

Confirmed: AFib ablation more beneficial for patients with HFrEF than those with HFpEF

Statin therapy may help HFpEF patients lower their risk of death, heart attack or stroke

Diabetic cardiomyopathy treatment shows promise in ARISE-HF

Keto diet ‘does not fulfill the criteria of a healthy diet,’ could be harmful for heart patients

Around the web