Structural Heart Disease

Structural heart diseases include any issues preventing normal cardiovascular function due to damage or alteration to the anatomical components of the heart. This is caused by aging, advanced atherosclerosis, calcification, tissue degeneration, congenital heart defects and heart failure. The most commonly treated areas are the heart valves, in particular the mitral and aortic valves. These can be replaced through open heart surgery or using cath lab-based transcatheter valves or repairs to eliminate regurgitation due to faulty valve leaflets. This includes transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR). Other common procedures include left atrial appendage (LAA) occlusion and closing congenital holes in the heart, such as PFO and ASD. A growing area includes transcatheter mitral repair or replacement and transcatheter tricuspid valve repair and replacement.

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TAVR outcomes worse in patients with end-stage renal disease

Patients with end-stage renal disease (ESRD) face higher risks of in-hospital mortality and bleeding with transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) than patients who aren’t dialysis-dependent, researchers report in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology.

COAPT: Patients with HF, mitral regurgitation see better health outcomes with TMVR

A recent analysis of the COAPT trial, published this spring in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology, suggests patients with symptomatic heart failure (HF) and secondary mitral regurgitation (MR) might see better mental and physical outcomes if they’re treated with edge-to-edge transcatheter mitral valve repair (TMVR) in lieu of standard therapy.

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Abbott’s tricuspid valve repair system finds success in TRILUMINATE study

Results from the TRILUMINATE study, presented this week at EuroPCR 2019 in Paris, suggest Abbott’s minimally invasive tricuspid valve repair system is an effective solution for patients with structural heart disease, reducing the severity of tricuspid regurgitation (TR) in more than 85% of test cases.

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Challenges of Infective Endocarditis: The Opioid Crisis Hits Home & Cardiologists Can’t Go It Alone

As rates of infective endocarditis among intravenous drug users skyrocket, cardiologists are finding that treating the heart condition without addressing the disease of addiction contributes to readmissions and mortality. 

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‘Really Not Close’: TAVR Trumps SAVR in Two Trials of Low-risk Patients

Clinical trials presented at ACC.19 flipped the script on TAVR vs. SAVR. 

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Positive Projections: TAVR/TMVR Market Likely to Double by 2023

The global market for transcatheter treatment of the mitral and aortic valves is expected to increase from $4 billion to $8 billion in the next five years, but barriers exist. 

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Preemie heart damage could be reversed with exercise in young adulthood

Cardiac abnormalities stemming from preterm birth can be corrected with a three-and-a-half-month exercise program in patients’ teens and twenties, according to a drug-free trial of Canadian adults.

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2.4% hydrogen could ease risk of brain damage, seizures in CHD patients

The addition of 2.4% hydrogen to hypoxia patients’ traditional ventilation gases improved neurologic outcomes and reduced tissue injury in a recent study of piglets, suggesting hydrogen might be a beneficial addition to therapy for babies undergoing surgery for congenital heart disease (CHD).