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).

Zachary Kon, MD, surgical director, advanced heart failure and cardiac transplantation at Hofstra/Northwell, explains the current standard for collecting and preserving organs and a the new concept of thoracoabdominal normothermic regional perfusion (NRP)

Advances in heart transplantation: Normothermic regional perfusion and beyond

Zachary Kon, MD, discussed the current standard for preserving organs and how NRP could lead to even better outcomes.

the words "FDA recall" on a board

Abbott’s HeartMate LVADs recalled again over screen issues—FDA highlights significant risks

Abbott has received multiple reports of its HeartMate monitor screens freezing, glitching and even displaying incorrect patient information. A total of 17 injuries have been reported so far. 

Endotronix, an Illinois-based healthcare technology company, has gained U.S. Food and Drug Administration approval for its Cordella Pulmonary Artery (PA) Sensor System, which uses PA pressure-guided therapy to manage and treat heart failure patients.

FDA approves new pulmonary artery sensor for heart failure

The Cordella platform from Endotronix includes an implantable sensor that tracks the patient’s PA pressure and other helpful health data.

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Semaglutide improves heart failure symptoms in both sexes—weight loss greater in women

“Understanding the sex differences in obesity-related HFpEF is of great importance,” one cardiologist explained. “Obesity and visceral adiposity are key drivers of HFpEF development and progression, and this may be even more amplified in women."

Vivek Reddy, MD, Director, Cardiac Arrhythmia Service, and the Leona M. and Harry B. Helmsley Charitable Trust Professor of Medicine in Cardiac Electrophysiology, at Mount Sinai in New York, was involved in most of the late-breaking pulsed field ablation (PFA) trials at the Heart Rhythm Society (HRS) 2024 meeting. He offers an overview of the new data presented and his observations from using PFA. #HRS24 #HRS2024 #PFA #EPeeps

The future of electrophysiology: Reviewing key trends in PFA

Vivek Reddy, MD, was involved in most of the late-breaking pulsed field ablation trials at Heart Rhythm 2024. He spoke to Cardiovascular Business at the conference about those trials and what they mean going forward.

CT imaging showing the congenital heart defect of left heart hypoplastic syndrome.

New avenue for regenerating damaged heart cells discovered

Gene manipulation can revert the cardiomyocytes back to a fetal state, allowing them to regenerate. Researchers are now looking for drugs to mimic the effect.

doctor examines patient data on their tablet

Engineers team with cardiologist to rethink heart pump assessments

The group’s work is focused on how signal processing technologies and machine learning can track the health of VADs and the patients who need them. 

Eko Health, the California-based healthcare technology company known for its advanced stethoscopes, has received U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approval for a new artificial intelligence (AI) offering designed to detect low ejection fraction (EF).

Eko Health raises $41M to expand footprint of its AI-powered stethoscopes

Now that the company has gained FDA approval for multiple algorithms, Eko Health aims to reach as many patients as possible with its AI-powered devices.