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.

New Study Demonstrates Feasibility of Using RenalGuard-Guided Diuretic Therapy for Acute Heart Failure Patients

MILFORD, Mass. — May 29, 2018 — RenalGuard Solutions™, Inc., a medical device company focused on innovative fluid management technologies for the cardiac and vascular markets, today announced new clinical study results demonstrating the feasibility of using RenalGuard®-Guided Diuretic Therapy to optimize fluid management in Acute Decompensated Heart Failure (ADHF) patients while alleviating related symptoms.

May 29, 2018

Social isolation in HF patients related to increased risk of death, use of healthcare resources

Patients with heart failure who describe themselves as being socially isolated have an increased risk of death and also have an increased use of healthcare resources, according to new research published in the Journal of the American Heart Association on May 23.

May 23, 2018

The Abbott HeartMate 3 left ventricular assist system. When Medicare updated its policy on left ventricular assist devices (LVADs) in 2020, making it easier for heart failure patients to receive an LVAD at a health center that does not perform heart transplants, the change was designed to improve patient access and boost outcomes. However, new research published in JAMA Network Open suggests shift may have potentially caused patients to miss out on heart transplants they would have otherwise received.

Class I recall issued for Abbott’s HeartMate 3 heart pump

The FDA has issued a Class I recall of the HeartMate 3 Left Ventricular Assist System (Abbott) because a malfunction in the device’s outflow graft assembly could lead to graft occlusion, possibly reducing or stopping blood flow.

May 23, 2018

Machine learning algorithm predicts survival for heart transplant candidates

Researchers from the University of California Los Angeles (UCLA) have developed a new algorithm which better predicts pre- and post-heart transplant survival than existing methods.

May 18, 2018

Beta-blockers equally effective for blacks, whites with HFrEF

A study published May 8 in the Journal of the American Heart Association suggests black and white patients with heart failure with reduced ejection fraction (HFrEF) derive similar benefit from beta-blockers, despite conflicting previous reports.

May 17, 2018

Excessive patient deaths spur investigation into Houston heart transplant center

Baylor St. Luke’s Medical Center in Houston continues to tout itself as one of the top heart transplant centers in the country, even as quality measures lag well behind national averages.

May 17, 2018

His bundle pacing trumps right ventricular approach in single-center study

A His bundle pacing (HBP) strategy was associated with a significant reduction in hospitalizations for heart failure when compared to pacemaker implantation via the right ventricle, according to a study published online May 14 in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology.

May 16, 2018

Cardiovascular mortality rates for IHD, CHF vary 'significantly' across VA hospitals

Risk-standardized cardiovascular mortality rates vary ‘substantially’ for ischemic heart disease (IHD) and chronic heart failure (CHF) across the Department of Veterans Affairs medical centers (VAMCs), according to a study published online May 16 in JAMA Cardiology.

May 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