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.

Stem cell therapy for heart failure lowers risk of adverse outcomes

“Cell therapy has the potential to change how we treat heart failure,” one researcher said.

November 16, 2021

New risk calculator detects TEER patients who may need to be readmitted for HF

Once the tool's performance is properly validated, it could help clinicians deliver better patient care and result in significant cost savings for health systems.

November 12, 2021

Some cancer immunotherapies may increase the risk of myocarditis

The study's authors tracked data from facilities in 11 different countries, examining imaging findings from patients with ICI-related myocarditis.

November 8, 2021

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.

Sacubitril/valsartan no better than valsartan alone for advanced heart failure

"Every clinical outcome that we measured favored treatment with valsartan alone," one researcher said.

November 4, 2021

Using pulmonary artery pressure monitoring to manage obese HF patients leads to strong outcomes

Researchers examined data from the CardioMEMS Post Approval Study, sharing their findings in JACC: Heart Failure.

November 3, 2021

Diabetes with cardiomyopathy associated with heightened heart failure risk

At this time, however, clinicians lack an intervention that specifically targets this combination of complications.

October 28, 2021

A patient has a telehealth visit with their doctor remotely in their home via video conferencing. The COVID-19 cause massive movement to telehealth since 2020.

Scenes from the pandemic: Telehealth a perfect fit for treating heart failure

One large health system actually treated more heart failure patients during the pandemic than it had in previous years.

October 22, 2021

American Heart Association introduces new certification program for home health heart failure patients

Heart failure cases are expected to keep growing in the years ahead.

October 22, 2021

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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