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.

Polypharmacy linked to functional impairment in seniors with HF

Seniors taking five or more prescription drugs to treat heart failure could be at an increased risk for functional impairment, according to a study published in the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society.

December 3, 2018

Natriuretic peptide-guided therapy falls flat in improving HFrEF outcomes

Using a biomarker target to guide the treatment of patients with heart failure with reduced ejection fraction (HFrEF) resulted in higher healthcare costs without significant improvements in quality of life compared to standard treatment, according to an analysis from the GUIDE-IT study.

December 3, 2018

Study: Miscarriages raise risk of CHD, heart failure in women

Results from a study published in the Journal of Women’s Health Nov. 27 suggest both miscarriages and a high number of births have a significant impact on women’s cardiovascular health, raising a mother’s risk for coronary heart disease (CHD), heart failure and even serious MI.

December 3, 2018

Mexican fish shed light on lrrc10—a gene that could be key to heart repair

Scientists at the University of Oxford are pitching cardiologists a new model for heart regeneration research: the Mexican tetra fish, a blind, translucent animal with an innate ability to repair its damaged heart tissue.

November 21, 2018

Why ‘rapid and complete recovery’ in Takotsubo patients is a misleading myth

The idea of “rapid and complete recovery” in Takotsubo patients is a myth, according to research published in the Nov. 7 edition of the European Heart Journal—and it’s one physicians should be paying more attention to.

November 15, 2018

AHA.18: TRED-HF exposes danger of stopping drug treatment for dilated cardiomyopathy

Among patients with restored ventricular function who were taken off their heart failure medications, 44 percent relapsed within eight weeks. Researchers said the trial indicates most of these patients should remain on their treatments indefinitely.

November 12, 2018

AHA.18: Sacubitril-valsartan combo shows promise for acute decompensated HF

Sacubitril-valsartan therapy was associated with greater reductions in N-terminal pro-B-type natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP) than enalapril among patients hospitalized with acute decompensated heart failure, according to research presented Nov. 11 at the American Heart Association’s Scientific Sessions and published online simultaneously in the New England Journal of Medicine.

November 11, 2018

Lower health literacy linked to higher mortality in acute decompensated HF

Poor health literacy could mean an increased risk of death for patients hospitalized with acute decompensated heart failure (ADHF), according to a study published in Mayo Clinic Proceedings Nov. 7.

November 8, 2018

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