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.

Optimal hemodynamics reduce HF readmissions in LVAD patients

Optimizing hemodynamics for heart failure (HF) patients with continuous-flow left ventricular assist devices (LVADs) significantly reduces the rate of those patients’ hospital readmissions, according to a study published Feb. 1 in Circulation: Heart Failure.

February 6, 2019

Postmarket mortality for Impella RP exceeds rate from earlier trials

Survival rates for patients treated with Abiomed’s Impella RP right ventricular assist device have been much lower in a postapproval study than they were during the device’s premarket clinical trials, the FDA said Feb. 4 in a letter to physicians.

February 5, 2019

Some chemo drugs might be more heart-safe than others

Current conversion ratios may be underestimating the long-term cardiotoxicity of common chemotherapy agents like mitoxantrone and overestimating the cardiovascular risk of anthracyclines like daunorubicin, researchers reported in JAMA Oncology Jan. 31.

February 1, 2019

Setting an example: Transplant surgeon accepts heart with hepatitis C

Knowing he needed a new heart, Robert Montgomery, MD, saw an opportunity to practice what he preaches. So, the 58-year-old director of NYU Langone Health’s Transplant Institute accepted an organ from a heroin user who died of a drug overdose and had hepatitis C.

January 29, 2019

Study: Benefits of beta-blockers outweigh risks in cocaine users with HFrEF

Active cocaine users with heart failure with reduced ejection fraction (HFrEF) benefited from beta-blocker therapy in a recent study, seeing improved left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) and reduced rates of cocaine-related CV events despite long-standing worries that the treatment might exacerbate symptoms of HF.

January 22, 2019

How advanced HF patients and their caregivers can ensure a favorable QoL

The nature of caregiving means the caregiver-patient relationship is always changing, but continued support from a network of experts and dedication to mutuality and preparedness can ensure both patients and caregivers have a good quality of life (QoL), according to a study published Jan. 14 in Circulation: Cardiovascular Quality and Outcomes.

January 17, 2019

FDA fast-tracks review process for cardiac amyloidosis drug

Tafamidis, Pfizer’s treatment for transthyretin amyloid cardiomyopathy (ATTR-CM), has been granted a priority review designation from the FDA, potentially speeding its path to approval.

January 14, 2019

Study: 4% of childhood cancer survivors develop heart failure within 40 years

Although childhood cancer survival has improved markedly over the past few decades, a new study out of the Netherlands suggests a greater proportion of those survivors are at risk of developing heart failure at young ages, due in part to cardiotoxic treatments.

January 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