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).

Heart AI

MRI detects heart failure risk in patients with dilated cardiomyopathy

About 40% of individuals had scarring patterns on their heart muscle visible during imaging, which was associated with a greater risk of suffering a major cardiac event.

July 16, 2020

COVID-19 leads to sharp rise in stress cardiomyopathy

Stress cardiomyopathy—often referred to as broken heart syndrome—was up significantly in March and April 2020.

July 9, 2020

Catheter-based heart failure treatment gains breakthrough device designation

preCARDIA announced that its catheter-based system for acutely decompensated heart failure has received the FDA’s breakthrough device designation.

June 23, 2020

Specialists share experience prescribing a historically expensive cardiovascular medication

Tafamidis received FDA approval in May 2019 for the treatment of transthyretin amyloid cardiomyopathy (ATTR-CM). It has a list price of $225,000 per year.

June 18, 2020

Machine learning predicts drug cardiotoxicity

Machine learning is playing a key role in predicting all major forms of drug cardiotoxicity, potentially helping reduce late-stage clinical trial failures.

June 10, 2020
A doctor speaking with a patient

How health literacy can impact heart failure patients

The study's authors emphasized the importance of interventions such as patient communication and education. 

June 1, 2020
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Heart transplants provide value for patients with AL, ATTR cardiac amyloidosis

With the disease becoming more and more common in the United States, researchers have been hard at work determining the best possible treatment options.

May 26, 2020

FDA fast-tracks heart failure medication omecamtiv mecarbil

Omecamtiv mecarbil, a cardiac myosin activator being manufactured by Amgen and Cytokinetics to treat heart failure with reduced ejection fraction, has been granted a Fast Track designation by the FDA.

May 14, 2020

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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