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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David Bennett

New details on the pig heart transplant patient's death, from the doctors who treated him

Doctors involved with the historic procedure shared key details about their experience in the New England Journal of Medicine.

The American Medical Association (AMA) has declared climate change as a major healthcare emergency. Sunrises and sunsets have become increasingly red in recent years with additional particulate matter in the atmosphere from larger, massive wild fires. Photo by Dave Fornell

Killer heat: How climate change could lead to more cardiovascular deaths

A new study to examine the relationship between extreme-heat events and cardiovascular mortality found that the hottest days can indeed be deadly.

FDA announces another recall for troubled heart device after a patient death

This latest recall involves the device's batteries, which are separating due to a "welding defect." 

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The 10 most common reasons for hospitalization after a heart transplant

While a vast majority of heart transplants in the United States are successful, unplanned hospitalizations after the procedures are still incredibly common.

The Corvia Atrial Shunt is designed to address elevated left atrial pressure (LAP) heart failure patients.

Corvia Medical raises $54M to continue studying implantable heart failure treatment

The company will use the funds to follow up on what it learned from the REDUCE LAP-HF II clinical trial.

New insights into what causes cardiac hypertrophy—and how to treat it

“We have finally been able to pinpoint one of the key reasons why the heart muscle wall thickens," one researcher said. 

Medtronic is once again recalling its HeartWare Ventricular Assist Device (HVAD) pump implant kit, a part of the company’s HeartWare HVAD system. This is a Class I recall, which means using the device can lead to serious injury or death. The new recall includes more than 1,600 devices distributed from October 2006 to June 2021.

FDA announces another recall of Medtronic HVAD pump implant kits—1 patient death reported

The recall includes more than 1,600 devices distributed from October 2006 to June 2021. Medtronic's HVAD system has already been associated with multiple issues, including a separate recall in 2021. 

Memorial Regional Hospital in Hollywood, Florida, recently becoming just the fourth hospital in the United States to earn Advanced Heart Failure Accreditation from the American College of Cardiology (ACC). The facility, home to the Memorial Cardiac and Vascular Institute, exceeded an array of stringent criteria during an onsite review of the staff’s ability to evaluate, diagnose, and treat patients with heart failure.

Fourth U.S. hospital meets high criteria for advanced heart failure accreditation

Memorial Regional Hospital in Hollywood, Florida, recently became just the fourth hospital in the United States to earn an Advanced Heart Failure Accreditation from the American College of Cardiology.

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Around the web

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Use of AI opportunistic screening in CT for cardiovascular disease

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

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New imaging protocols proposed to curb rise of cardiovascular infections

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