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).

Fewer women than men listed, selected for DCD heart transplants
Donation after circulatory death heart transplants are gaining popularity in the United States, but men are much more likely to benefit than women.
Heart attack deaths are way down after decades of breakthroughs—but other risks have skyrocketed
Researchers explored more than 52 years of data, highlighting several key trends in the Journal of the American Heart Association.
Heart Failure Society of America names its newest leaders and board members
Kenneth Margulies, MD, will be the group's next president. These new terms all begin after the HFSA Annual Scientific Meeting in September.
First 250 patients enrolled in transcatheter heart failure device trial to reduce LV size
The first 250 patients has been enrolled in the CORCINCH-HF U.S. pivotal trial evaluating the AccuCinch Transcatheter Left Ventricular Restoration System in patients with HFrEF.
How private equity influences care for heart failure patients
Overall, 30-day outcomes were not significantly different for hospitals after being acquired by a private equity firm. However, the study’s authors did identify trends that suggest there may be a drop in the quality of care.

Omega-3 supplements improve social function, reduce depression in HF patients

A small-scale pilot study has linked omega-3 fatty acid supplementation to improved social function and reduced cognitive depression in patients with combined chronic heart failure (CHF) and major depressive disorder.

Baylor St. Luke’s hires surgeons, administrator to revive struggling heart transplant program

Baylor St. Luke’s Medical Center in Houston has hired two new cardiac surgeons and an administrator in an effort to revamp a heart transplant program that recently lost Medicare funding due to poor patient outcomes, the Houston Chronicle and ProPublica reported.

HeartMate 3 heart pump gets FDA approval as destination therapy

The HeartMate 3 left ventricular assist device (LVAD) has gained FDA approval for advanced heart failure patients ineligible for a transplant, manufacturer Abbott announced Oct. 19.

Why Cleveland Clinic began screening carpal tunnel patients for cardiac amyloidosis

Cleveland Clinic researchers identified amyloid deposits in 10.2 percent of patients undergoing carpal tunnel release surgery, suggesting biopsies of hand tissue could be an early signal of life-threatening cardiac amyloidosis.

Prior cardiotoxicity linked to 30% increased risk of CHF during pregnancy

Women with a history of cardiotoxicity from previous cancer treatments are around 30 percent more likely to experience clinical congestive heart failure (CHF) before, during or after pregnancy, according to research published ahead of print in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology.

Researchers develop 1st mini pacemaker capable of long-term mouse studies

Harvard Medical School scientists have created a wirelessly programmed, miniaturized pacemaker which functions for weeks to months at a time, opening the door to “previously impossible investigations of arrhythmia and heart failure in the mouse.”

Meta-analysis confirms digoxin is major threat to AF, HF patients

Digoxin, a cardiac glycoside popularly sold under the brand name Lanoxin, poses a major threat to the heart health of atrial fibrillation (AF) and heart failure (HF) patients, according to a review published in the American Journal of Cardiology Oct. 4. Even without confounding conditions, the drug can raise an individual’s risk of all-cause mortality.

Peripartum cardiomyopathy decreases diastolic function, exercise capacity in long run

Women who suffer from peripartum cardiomyopathy (PPCM) will likely be clinically asymptomatic seven years after they give birth, according to research published in the Journal of the American Heart Association Oct. 3—but it’s also likely they’ll develop enduring diastolic dysfunction and reduced exercise capacity in the same window.

Heart Failure

Fewer women than men listed, selected for DCD heart transplants

Heart attack deaths are way down after decades of breakthroughs—but other risks have skyrocketed

Heart Failure Society of America names its newest leaders and board members

First 250 patients enrolled in transcatheter heart failure device trial to reduce LV size

How private equity influences care for heart failure patients