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, RASBs reduce mortality in HF patients with midrange EF

Guideline-directed medical therapies like beta-blockers and renin-angiotensin system blockers (RASBs)—but not aldosterone antagonists—are associated with improved outcomes in heart failure patients hospitalized with a midrange ejection fraction, researchers reported in the current edition of the Journal of the American Heart Association.

NIH pauses $63M stem cell trial for heart failure amid controversy

The National Institutes of Health (NIH) is pausing a taxpayer-funded, $63 million trial of cardiac stems cells over questions about the basis for the research.

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Taking donor heart at increased disease risk is better than waiting

Cardiac transplant candidates are better off accepting an organ with a higher risk of transmitting diseases than waiting for another heart, suggests a study published Oct. 29 in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology.

Omega-3 slashes GI bleeding rates for LVAD patients

Omega-3 treatment was associated with significantly fewer gastrointestinal bleeding events for patients with left ventricular assist devices (LVADs), researchers reported in Circulation: Heart Failure.

AFib’s impact on heart failure outcomes varies by subtype

Higher ejection fractions (EFs) among heart failure patients are associated with an increased incidence of atrial fibrillation (AF) and worse cardiovascular outcomes, according to data from a multinational European registry.

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Omega-3 supplements improve social function, reduce depression in HF patients

A small-scale pilot study has linked omega-3 fatty acid supplementation to improved social function and reduced cognitive depression in patients with combined chronic heart failure (CHF) and major depressive disorder.

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Baylor St. Luke’s hires surgeons, administrator to revive struggling heart transplant program

Baylor St. Luke’s Medical Center in Houston has hired two new cardiac surgeons and an administrator in an effort to revamp a heart transplant program that recently lost Medicare funding due to poor patient outcomes, the Houston Chronicle and ProPublica reported.

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HeartMate 3 heart pump gets FDA approval as destination therapy

The HeartMate 3 left ventricular assist device (LVAD) has gained FDA approval for advanced heart failure patients ineligible for a transplant, manufacturer Abbott announced Oct. 19.

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