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).

the words "FDA recall" on a board

Medtronic recalls nearly 350,000 implantable heart devices after 22 injuries

The FDA has categorized this as a Class I recall, meaning the use of these devices could cause serious injuries or death.”

July 18, 2023
Artificial intelligence (AI) model using chest x-rays to evaluate cardiac function

No echocardiography, no problem? AI evaluates cardiac function using chest X-rays

Researchers think their new AI model could be especially helpful in areas where qualified physicians and/or ultrasound technology are in short supply.

July 13, 2023
Mediterranean diet keto diet

Keto diet could be good for heart failure patients, but many questions remain

A team of specialists from the Cleveland Clinic detailed the potential benefits—and risks—associated with following a ketogenic diet to address heart failure symptoms. The group recommended borrowing heavily from the Mediterranean diet and avoiding heavily processed "keto-friendly" products. 

July 13, 2023
IVUS guidance during DES implantation boosts long-term outcomes in new study

Heart failure symptoms after PCI increase risk of adverse events

Researchers in Japan tracked BNP levels and bleeding events among more than 7,000 PCI patients. The group noted that managing heart failure in the first 30 days after PCI can help boost outcomes. 

July 7, 2023
FDA approves Abbott’s Aveir dual chamber (DR) leadless pacemaker system, the world’s very first dual chamber leadless pacing solution for treating patients with abnormal heart rhythms.

FDA approves world’s first dual-chamber leadless pacemaker system

The minimally invasive system is made up of two pacemakers that send signals back and forth to one another. One pacemaker is placed on the patient's right ventricle, and the other is placed on the patient's right atrium. 

July 5, 2023
TricValve Transcatheter Bicaval Valves System and HeartMate II LVAD. A team of interventional cardiologists has made a bit of history, using a new transcatheter device to treat tricuspid regurgitation (TR) in a high-risk heart failure patient who with a previously implanted left ventricular assist device (LVAD). It represents the first time this particular device, the TricValve Transcatheter Bicaval Valves System from P+F Products, has been implanted in a patient with this particular LVAD, the HeartMate II.

Cardiologists shed new light on treating severe tricuspid regurgitation in high-risk heart failure patients

The 80-year-old patient was experiencing severe TR and already had a HeartMate II LVAD. 

June 15, 2023
Large peridevice leaks after left atrial appendage occlusion (LAAO) are incredibly rare and not associated with a greater risk of adverse outcomes, according to new research published in JACC: Clinical Electrophysiology.[1] Smaller residual links are more common, however, and associated with a risk of thromboembolic and bleeding events.

‘A hugely significant development’: Severe heart condition reverses in 3 patients, shocking experts

Cardiologists and other physicians have always believed cardiac transthyretin amyloidosis, a progressive heart condition associated with a high mortality rate, was irreversible. Now, though, new evidence suggests that there may be hope. 

June 13, 2023
Recall

FDA warns healthcare providers about recalled CPB, ECMO devices

Multiple medical devices used during cardiopulmonary bypass and extracorporeal membrane oxygenation procedures have been voluntarily recalled due to issues with their packaging.

June 12, 2023

Around the web

Eleven medical societies have signed on to a consensus statement aimed at standardizing imaging for suspected cardiovascular infections.

Kate Hanneman, MD, explains why many vendors and hospitals want to lower radiology's impact on the environment. "Taking steps to reduce the carbon footprint in healthcare isn’t just an opportunity," she said. "It’s also a responsibility."

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