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).

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MRI helps researchers find disparities in different forms of heart failure

Researchers at the University of Texas at Arlington have created a way to measure oxygen consumption in the legs of heart failure patients using MRI, a finding that sheds light on the intricacies of different forms of heart failure.

Detroit man changes lifestyle after heart failure diagnose

After letting his health getting out hand and being diagnosed with heart failure, hypertension, type 2 diabetes, pneumonia and kidney disease, James Young, a graphic designer from Detroit, turned his life around to get his heart health back on track, according to an article from the American Heart Association.

CMS convenes panel, invites comments on health outcomes for heart failure treatment technologies

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) will convene a panel of experts on March 22 at a public meeting in Baltimore.

Penn researchers discover proteins that could prevent heart failure after heart attack

Researchers from the University of Pennsylvania have discovered new evidence that could help explain why patients who’ve suffered heart attacks go into heart failure.

Metformin may reduce all-cause mortality in patients with congestive heart failure

A systematic review of 17 observational studies found that metformin was associated with a reduction in all-cause mortality in patients with type 2 diabetes and chronic kidney disease, congestive heart failure or chronic liver disease with hepatic impairment.

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Medical community worried Americans face increased risk of heart disease

As the number of Americans diagnosed with high blood pressure continues to rise, the medical community is growing increasingly worried about the population’s risk of having heart attacks, said the American Academy of Family Physicians in a Feb. 2 statement.

Certain pain relievers may increase risk for heart attack during cold, flu

Though many people take pain relievers to ease a sore throat or headache when enduring the flu or a cold, new research says doing so could increase the risk of suffering a heart attack.

Michigan cardiologist’s mother gets visa interview cancelled after Trump’s executive order

Khaldoon Alaswad, a cardiologist at Henry Ford Hospital in Detroit, made headlines after his mother had her March 14 visa interviewed canceled a day after President Donald Trump issued an executive order than prevents immigrant and travelers from seven predominantly Muslin countries from coming to the U.S., reports Crain’s Detroit Business.

Around the web

Ron Blankstein, MD, professor of radiology, Harvard Medical School, explains the use of artificial intelligence to detect heart disease in non-cardiac CT exams.

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