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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‘Excellent’ heart transplant outcomes observed from donors with circulatory death

A new report from Australia highlighted the feasibility of transplanting hearts from donors who have experienced circulatory death—a practice which, if adopted, could expand heart transplant volume by an estimated 20 percent.

FDA approves implantable device for CRT-ineligible HF patients

The FDA has approved the Optimizer Smart system as an implantable treatment option for heart failure patients with left ventricular ejection fraction between 25 and 45 percent who aren’t candidates for cardiac resynchronization therapy (CRT).

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The newest player in remote cardiovascular monitoring: A toilet seat?

Researchers from the Rochester Institute of Technology are leveraging “natural processes” to provide insights into heart health with a toilet seat-based cardiovascular monitoring system.

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CardioMEMS sensor cuts HF-related hospitalizations by 58%

A post-FDA approval study of Abbott’s CardioMEMS heart failure sensor found the device reduced HF-related hospitalizations by 58 percent in a trial group of 1,200 patients, researchers reported at this year’s American College of Cardiology symposium in New Orleans.

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A Step Closer to Precision Medicine? Gene Editing Process Leads to Personalized Advice for Heart Patient

A new stem cell-based test may add certainty to efforts to predict whether so-called variants of uncertain significance will contribute to the development of diseases or be harmless. 

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‘Patient No. 1’ from a Hep C heart transplant study shares his story

By the time three transplant physicians approached Tom Giangiulio Jr. about being the first patient in a new clinical trial to accept a heart from a Hepatitis C-positive donor, Giangiulio didn’t have much of a choice.

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17% of HFrEF patients see condition worsen within 18 months of diagnosis

One in six patients with heart failure with reduced ejection fraction (HFrEF) develops worsening HF within 18 months of an initial diagnosis, according to research published in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology, and these declining patients aren’t receiving the right standard of care.

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42% of HF patients take at least 10 meds a day—and they’re willing to add more

Nearly half of patients with heart failure (HF) take at least 10 medications per day, according to research published in the American Journal of Cardiology, yet an overwhelming 85 percent report willingness to add more drugs to that regimen if it helps them prevent further health events.

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.