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).

FDA announces another new recall involving Abbott’s HeartMate 3 LVADs after 70 injuries, 2 deaths
Abbott issued the new recall after receiving more than 80 reports of blood or air entering the LVAD during implant procedures. Customers can still use these devices, but they are advised to follow specific steps to limit the risk of complications.
COVID-19 vaccines helped heart failure patients stay out of the hospital and live longer
Vaccination was linked to key benefits in terms of all-cause mortality, heart failure hospitalizations, stroke, heart attack, myocarditis, venous thromboembolism and testing positive for COVID-19.
Cardiologists and surgeons perform world’s first robot-assisted TEER
A 62-year-old women presented with severe MR and recurrent heart failure episodes. Initial data suggest the procedure was a success.
Confirmed: AFib ablation more beneficial for patients with HFrEF than those with HFpEF
Researchers explored data from nearly 2,500 AFib ablation patients, sharing their findings in JAMA Cardiology.
Statin therapy may help HFpEF patients lower their risk of death, heart attack or stroke
All participants were free of ASCVD and had no history of statin use at the start of the study.

JACC editors: Clinical research culture in US lags behind other nations

Two editors of JACC: Heart Failure detailed how the United States has fallen behind other countries in site-based clinical research and offered suggestions on how to reinvigorate the research culture in America.

March 26, 2018

Preterm births JACC heart function during exercise

Adults born preterm show impaired left ventricular function during exercise

The hearts of adults who are born prematurely don’t function as well during exercise, possibly explaining why they’re more at risk for early heart failure, according to a study published March 19 in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology.

March 21, 2018

durbin-ama-opioid. The American College of Cardiology (ACC) and American Heart Association (AHA) have published new guidelines focused on the diagnosis, treatment and management of patients with chronic coronary disease (CCD).

Canagliflozin linked to fewer deaths, heart failure hospitalizations for type 2 diabetics

Canagliflozin reduced the risk of death or hospitalization for heart failure by 22 percent among patients with type 2 diabetes and a high risk of cardiovascular disease, according to results of the CANVAS trial presented March 11 at the American College of Cardiology’s scientific session and published simultaneously in Circulation.

March 19, 2018

Mortality risk model combines EHR data, language processing to account for frailty

Applying natural language learning and deep neural networks to mortality risk models could help predict cardiovascular outcomes with more accuracy than modern support vector machines, researchers said at the 67th annual American College of Cardiology conference in Orlando.

March 16, 2018

Heart Failure

FDA announces another new recall involving Abbott’s HeartMate 3 LVADs after 70 injuries, 2 deaths

COVID-19 vaccines helped heart failure patients stay out of the hospital and live longer

Cardiologists and surgeons perform world’s first robot-assisted TEER

Confirmed: AFib ablation more beneficial for patients with HFrEF than those with HFpEF

Statin therapy may help HFpEF patients lower their risk of death, heart attack or stroke