Interventional heart failure: An evolving cardiology subspecialty with a bright future
Interventional heart failure (IHF) is an evolving healthcare subspecialty that includes elements of both interventional cardiology and advanced heart failure and transplant cardiology (AHFTC). IHF cardiologists come from a variety of backgrounds, but they all share the same goal: to ensure complex heart failure patients receive the best care possible.
A new comprehensive review article published in JSCAI examined the past, present and future of IHF.[1] Its authors aimed to increase awareness about this growing subspecialty among medical students, cardiology trainees, practicing cardiologists and industry leaders alike.
“Parallel to advances in pharmacological therapies for heart failure, there have been rapid advancements in device-based therapies,” first author Richard Cheng, MD, a cardiologist and advanced heart failure specialist with the University of California San Francisco, said in a statement. “The intersection of heart failure and interventional cardiology has grown rapidly. Yet, there has been no formalized training pathway or clear consensus on what a career in this field should look like. Having specialists who not only understand heart failure but are also adept in interventional techniques is paramount to meeting the growing needs of our patients with heart failure. This article is a pivotal step towards establishing clear career paths, delineating competencies, and developing standardized training pathways essential for our specialty to thrive.”
Cheng et al. noted that some IHF cardiologists are AHFTC trainees who choose to specialize in performing invasive procedures. Others, meanwhile, start with a formal background in interventional cardiology and then start focusing more and more on patients who present with advanced heart failure.
To help provide more consistency for these cardiologists, the group evaluated the potential benefits of a two-year training program that includes one year focused on interventional cardiology and another focused on AHFTC. The subspecialty’s two sides would need to be properly balanced, they wrote, with plenty of time spent on such topics as cardiogenic shock, pulmonary hypertension and percutaneous coronary interventional. The authors also emphasized that this approach could still be flexible enough that it can be shaped to a trainee’s specific interests.
The JSCAI analysis also looked ahead to the future of IHF, saying it offers “diverse opportunities for physicians with dual training, allowing them to blend procedural expertise with clinical heart failure management.”
“Although the role is still evolving, physicians skilled in both areas are becoming increasingly relevant in the management of complex patients with heart failure,” the authors wrote. “The development of this career path depends significantly on the healthcare system, the training framework, and the institutional structure, with marked differences between the United States and Europe. As heart failure therapies become intertwined with interventional procedures, the demand for dual-trained specialists is likely to grow, making this a promising field for the future.”
Click here to read the full comprehensive review in JSCAI, a Society for Cardiovascular Angiography & Interventions journal.
Michael has more than 18 years of experience as a professional writer and editor. He has written at length about cardiology, radiology, artificial intelligence and other key healthcare topics.