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).

LBBAP limits hospital readmissions after TAVR
Left bundle branch area pacing is associated with better long-term outcomes than traditional right ventricular pacing when patients require PPMI after TAVR, according to new research in Heart Rhythm.
FDA approves Boston Scientific leads for left bundle branch area pacing
Boston Scientific's INGEVITY+ pacing leads were originally approved by the FDA back in 2019. They can now be used for LBBAP, a new alternative to biventricular pacing.
JACC editor excited by progress during a 'very important moment' for cardiology
Harlan Krumholz, MD, editor-in-chief of the Journal of the American College of Cardiology, explains some of the key technology and treatment trends he has his eyes on.
FDA approves Biotronik lead, catheter for left bundle branch area pacing
LBBAP is a relatively new alternative to biventricular pacing. The FDA's decision was based largely on data from the BIO-CONDUCT clinical trial.
Surgeons make history, perform world’s first fully robotic heart transplant
The procedure, which lasted roughly two and half hours, was performed on a 16-year-old patient with end-stage heart failure.

‘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.

March 7, 2019

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.

February 28, 2019

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.

February 26, 2019

How one center boosted palliative care use for advanced heart failure patients

A nurse navigator-led program at Providence St. Vincent Medical Center in Oregon helped the hospital double its palliative care referral rates for advanced heart failure patients considered to be at high risk of readmission.

February 22, 2019

6 months after OHSU heart transplant program implodes, Providence offers a helping hand

Oregon Health & Sciences University might have a chance to revive the heart transplant program it shuttered last August after all four of its cardiologists left the institution, according to reports from the Oregonian and Oregon Live.

February 21, 2019

Left ventricular function helps predict post-op mortality in HF patients

Heart failure (HF)—both symptomatic and asymptomatic—is associated with an up to 10 percent increased risk of 90-day postoperative mortality in patients undergoing noncardiac surgery, according to a study published Feb. 12 in the Journal of the American Medical Association.

February 14, 2019

His-optimized CRT improves electrical resynchronization in advanced HF patients

His-optimized cardiac resynchronization therapy successfully narrowed QRS duration, improved left ventricular (LV) ejection fraction and heightened functionality in 27 patients with advanced heart failure (HF), according to a study published in Circulation: Arrhythmia and Electrophysiology.

February 12, 2019

Almost 25% of HFrEF patients prescribed drugs that could worsen their condition

Nearly a quarter of adults living with heart failure with reduced ejection fraction (HFrEF) are prescribed at least one pharmaceutical that could exacerbate their condition, according to a study published in the American Journal of Cardiology Feb. 10.

February 11, 2019

Heart Failure

LBBAP limits hospital readmissions after TAVR

FDA approves Boston Scientific leads for left bundle branch area pacing

JACC editor excited by progress during a 'very important moment' for cardiology

FDA approves Biotronik lead, catheter for left bundle branch area pacing

Surgeons make history, perform world’s first fully robotic heart transplant