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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Beta-blockers could raise risk of hospitalization for those with ‘stiff heart’ HF

Beta-blocker use was linked to an increased risk of heart failure hospitalizations in a recent study of patients with “stiff heart” HF—a concerning finding considering the majority of such patients take the drugs as part of their care regimen.

Novoheart, AstraZeneca partner to develop HFpEF ‘heart-in-a-jar’

Novoheart, a Vancouver-based stem cell biotech company, is pairing with biopharmaceutical giant AstraZeneca to develop the world’s first human-specific in vitro functional model of heart failure with preserved ejection fraction.

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Brushing teeth frequently may lower risk of AFib, heart failure

Brushing teeth three or more times a day could dramatically lower a person’s risk for CVDs like heart failure and atrial fibrillation, according to preliminary research out of Ewha Womans University in Seoul, South Korea.

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Physicians weigh the efficacy, risk of the Impella pump

Use of the Impella heart pump during PCI rose rapidly between the 2000s and 2010s, according to a Circulation analysis—but so did its variability across hospitals and associated adverse outcomes.

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Transcatheter HF device receives breakthrough designation from FDA

The FDA has granted Breakthrough Device status to BioVentrix, Inc.’s Revivent TC Transcatheter Ventricular Enhancement System, a proactive approach to treating MI-induced heart failure.

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Bionic pacemaker could reverse-remodel hearts affected by HF

A novel pacemaker designed to mimic a patient’s organic breath increased blood flow to the heart in a study of individuals with heart failure, according to research published in the journal Thorax.

New approach emerges for treating HF patients with and without diabetes

Patients with heart failure and reduced ejection fraction are well served by treatment with the glucose-lowering drug dapagliflozin, as it warded off death and hospitalization while also improving quality of life when added to standard care regimens in a major trial.

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AI tool predicts HF mortality with 88% accuracy

A collaboration between physicists and cardiologists at the University of California San Diego has resulted in an AI tool that can predict heart failure patients’ life expectancy with 88% accuracy.

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.