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).

Keto diet ‘does not fulfill the criteria of a healthy diet,’ could be harmful for heart patients
The popular high-fat, low-carb diet is associated with multiple short-term benefits, but they appear to diminish over time.
Bayer subsidiary granted FDA’s fast track designation for new congestive heart failure treatment
AskBio, acquired by Bayer for more than $2 billion in 2020, is enrolling patients for a new clinical trial focused on the therapy's effectiveness in adult patients with non-ischemic cardiomyopathy and heart failure.
2 out of 5 AFib patients develop heart failure later in life
Stroke is typically seen as the biggest danger for patients after they receive an AFib diagnosis. This study, however, suggests heart failure could be an even bigger threat.
FDA announces new recall of Abbott’s HeartMate LVADs after 14 deaths
The issue at the center of this recall, which includes both the HeartMate II and HeartMate 3 LVAD, is the gradual buildup of biological materials. This can impact the device's performance, creating a heightened risk of injury or death.
Inter-atrial shunt in RELIEVE-HF improves symptoms in HFrEF, but not HFpEF
Gregg Stone, MD, explains the details of the late-breaking RELIEVE-HF trial at ACC.24, where an inter-atrial shunt improved symptoms in HFrEF, but not in HFpEF patients.

FDA expands dapagliflozin approval to cover all heart failure patients

The FDA has previously approved the SGLT2 inhibitor in patients with HFrEF, but not HFmrEF or HFpEF

May 9, 2023

American Heart Association awards researchers $15M to study stress-related CVD

Teams from three universities have received four-year research grants to examine the relationship between chronic stress and CVD. Each team plans to study the issue from a different angle.

May 5, 2023

Medical device company raises $55M for new percutaneous heart pump

The device, described as the "world's smallest heart pump," has received the FDA's breakthrough device designation for two indications.

May 4, 2023

CVRx ‘thrilled’ with Q1 performance as Barostim use continues to increase

The company has seen significant improvements in revenue and the number of centers actively using its technology.

May 1, 2023

Laser speckle imaging captures details of blood vessels in a beating donor transplant heart outside the body for viability evaluation. Image from Plyer et al., doi 10.1117/1.JBO.28.4.046007

Laser technology may help determine viability of transplant hearts

A new laser imaging technology may be able to determine which donor hearts are viable for transplant and which will result in poor outcomes, without the need for coronary angiography or use of contrast agents that can damage an explanted heart.

April 26, 2023

Abbott life support system gains 2 new FDA clearances aimed at providing long-term relief

Certain uses of the CentriMag acute circulatory support system were previously limited to six hours, but the FDA has now cleared long-term treatment so that clinicians have more time to provide high-quality care.

April 25, 2023

Large peridevice leaks after left atrial appendage occlusion (LAAO) are incredibly rare and not associated with a greater risk of adverse outcomes, according to new research published in JACC: Clinical Electrophysiology.[1] Smaller residual links are more common, however, and associated with a risk of thromboembolic and bleeding events.

American College of Cardiology shares new HFpEF recommendations as cases continue to rise

HFpEF now accounts for a majority of heart failure cases, highlighting the importance of ensuring both primary care providers and dedicated heart teams know as much about this topic as possible.

April 21, 2023

cardiologist doctor physician patient black diverse hypertension

NSAID use, even for just 2 weeks, increases heart failure risk among patients with type 2 diabetes

The link between NSAIDs such as ibuprofen and heart failure was especially strong among patients 80 years old and older. For patients 65 years old and younger, on the other hand, no such link was identified.

April 17, 2023

Heart Failure

Keto diet ‘does not fulfill the criteria of a healthy diet,’ could be harmful for heart patients

Bayer subsidiary granted FDA’s fast track designation for new congestive heart failure treatment

2 out of 5 AFib patients develop heart failure later in life

FDA announces new recall of Abbott’s HeartMate LVADs after 14 deaths

Inter-atrial shunt in RELIEVE-HF improves symptoms in HFrEF, but not HFpEF