Where a patient lives, his or her race, discharge blood values and previous hospitalization record were among variables that most predicted 30-day heart failure readmission risk, a Boston research group found. The model they developed, simplified from a list of 25 variables, had high accuracy compared with commonly used standards.

Today, St. Vincent Heart Center officials announced that the faith-based hospital is the second in the nation to implant the new investigational “heart pump.” Dr. Christopher Salerno, cardiothoracic surgeon at St. Vincent Heart Center implanted the new Left Ventricular Assist System (LVAS) called the HeartMate III on a 19-year-old patient. 

Heart failure patients with preserved ejection fraction using calcium-channel blockers were no worse for taking them. But, they also didn’t experience much benefit either, according to a study published online Oct. 8 in Circulation: Heart Failure.

The market for pharmaceuticals to treat chronic heart failure could climb to nearly $9 billion over the next decade, one market research report estimated.

On Sept. 24, 2014Heart Hospital of Austin became the first facility in Texas to implant a new miniaturized, wireless monitoring sensor to manage heart failure (HF). The CardioMEMS HF System is the first and only FDA-approved heart failure monitoring device that has been proven to significantly reduce hospital admissions when used by physicians to manage heart failure.

Amgen today announced data from the Phase 3 SHIFT (Systolic Heart failure treatment with the If inhibitor ivabradine Trial) study evaluating ivabradine in patients with chronic heart failure (HF) were presented at the 18th Annual Scientific Meeting of the Heart Failure Society of America (HFSA) in Las Vegas.

Cardiac Dimensions, Inc. today announced that new long-term outcomes data from the TITAN II clinical trial of its enhanced CARILLON Mitral Contour System showed significant and sustained improvements in mitral regurgitation, functional improvement, quality of life and reverse cardiac remodeling. The long-term safety and efficacy data, which was consistent with previous trials of the system, was presented Sept. 13 at the 26th annual Transcatheter Cardiovascular Therapeutics Conference (TCT) in Washington, DC by TITAN II investigator Professor Dr. Michael Haude of Lukaskrankenhaus in Neuss, Germany.

Cardioxyl Pharmaceuticals, Inc. announced today that its experimental heart failure compound has been shown to be effective in animal models following oral (capsule) dosing. The preclinical results demonstrate an alternative to intravenous infusions that could pave the way for convenient outpatient therapy with HNO prodrugs. The data were presented yesterday at the Heart Failure Society of America’s (HFSA) 18th Annual Scientific Meeting in Las Vegas.