theheart.org - Heart failure

Referring MDs fall short on ICD-indication guidelines

Thu, 09 Feb 2012 12:15:12 EST

A lot of generalists and some cardiologists apparently don't know some of the fundamental criteria for indication of a primary-prevention device and so may not be referring all patients who might benefit, a survey suggests.

Generalists need education on HF treatment

Tue, 07 Feb 2012 14:00:09 EST

A unique study trying to drill down into why cardiologists seem to gain better outcomes than generalists when treating heart failure has identified a number of reasons that this is the case. But generalists—who treat the majority of HF—have to deal with older and sicker patients, confounding the issue. The authors hope the work will act as a catalyst to improve HF care.

ICDs charged with sex discrimination: Women get fewer shocks

Mon, 06 Feb 2012 17:00:00 EST

Differences in appropriate-therapy and device-related complication rates in a prospective study question (once again) whether women and men should have the same ICD-eligibility criteria.

Heart failure linked to loss of brain gray matter

Fri, 03 Feb 2012 16:15:21 EST

Heart failure is associated with a decline in mental function and loss of gray matter in the brain, which may make it more difficult for patients to follow instructions regarding their medication, a new Australian study has found.

Aspirin as effective as warfarin in heart failure: WARCEF

Fri, 03 Feb 2012 14:55:27 EST

Although there was an edge for warfarin for those treated for four or more years, there is "no compelling" reason to anticoagulate these patients, researchers say.

"Tetherless" power-transmission technology could radically change LVAD therapy

Fri, 03 Feb 2012 11:00:14 EST

New wireless technology used to power implantable ventricular assist devices has the potential to make them far safer than ever before and bring the therapy to patients at earlier stages of heart failure than are currently recommended.

CMS draft of proposed coverage for TAVI

Fri, 03 Feb 2012 09:30:30 EST

The CMS has issued a draft of the conditions under which it will provide coverage for transcatheter aortic-valve replacements, as the technology begins to be rolled out in the US.

The flap over flavonoids

Thu, 02 Feb 2012 15:15:40 EST

The field of flavonoids and polyphenols continues to attract a massive amount of interest, from researchers and the public alike. But can health really be improved by eating chocolate and drinking red wine?

Dr Mandeep Mehra leaves Baltimore for post at the Brigham

Wed, 01 Feb 2012 17:15:30 EST

The accomplished specialist in advanced heart failure is taking on new challenges at the head of the Boston institution's Advanced Heart Disease Center.

US "roadmap" for TAVI rollout published

Wed, 01 Feb 2012 15:00:32 EST

A new US expert-consensus document on transcatheter aortic-valve implantation aims to smooth the rollout of this new technology stateside.

Shifty and dangerous: Worsening diastolic dysfunction ups mortality

Tue, 31 Jan 2012 16:45:13 EST

Actually, it was just as strong a mortality predictor as worsening systolic function in a retrospective series of patients followed with echocardiography.

3B or not 3B? Should patients get an LVAD before reaching end-stage HF?

Mon, 30 Jan 2012 10:00:01 EST

Experts debated the evidence supporting the expansion of LVAD therapy to patients whose heart failure has not yet progressed to the so-called end stage.

Don't routinely replace spent ICDs: Proposal

Fri, 27 Jan 2012 17:00:00 EST

It may have little to offer and it might not be what the patient wants, argues a perspective in the New England Journal of Medicine.

Riata Summit insights: Vigilance key to following functional but "recalled" ICD leads

Fri, 27 Jan 2012 10:00:32 EST

UPDATED // Most attending the recent Riata ICD lead summit felt that fluoroscopic screening of Riata recipients was a reasonable thing to do, at odds with some recommendations; remote monitoring has its limits here, say VA data.

Cardiologists flagging woeful patient care say they paid with their jobs

Wed, 25 Jan 2012 15:30:00 EST

An echocardiographer and cardiac surgeon who say their jobs were axed in retaliation after they lodged numerous complaints of substandard patient care at a county hospital in Santa Clara are suing some of their former bosses, including two other cardiologists. The plaintiffs also claim they suffered severe harassment as a result of expressing their concerns. The defendants' attorney says the case "is hotly disputed."

Pay for SGR repeal with war savings, say medical groups

Tue, 24 Jan 2012 15:45:34 EST

A letter to Rep Dave Camp from 110 medical societies admits that war savings from military pullbacks are a "budget gimmick" but says they could retire SGR debt, another budget gimmick.

Pillow talk: First AHA advice on sex and CVD

Thu, 19 Jan 2012 16:00:00 EST

The first-ever guidance on sexual activity and cardiovascular disease from the AHA encourages doctors, patients, and their partners to discuss the subject during consultations. The majority of those with heart disease can safely engage in sex, which is important to quality of life, it concludes.

Mortality climbs with rising PA pressure in heart failure: Community-based study

Wed, 18 Jan 2012 09:45:46 EST

The finding in a broad community-based HF population confirms and extends what is recognized in the hospital setting.

Resveratrol scientists react to Das fraud scandal: "Research will continue"

Fri, 13 Jan 2012 17:20:01 EST

As the controversy over the research fraud allegations against Dr Dipak Das enters its third day, researchers told heartwire what the news means for the field of resveratrol research and, more pressingly, an upcoming scientific meeting.

FDA: CardioGen-82 problems site-specific

Fri, 13 Jan 2012 10:15:04 EST

The generators, used in cardiac nuclear scans, were recalled by the manufacturer last summer, and the FDA previously found fault with manufacturing processes. Now the FDA says the excessive radiation cases appear to have occurred only at specific clinical sites and were unrelated to any manufacturing deficiencies.

Red-wine researcher charged with photo-editing fraud

Fri, 13 Jan 2012 09:30:31 EST

A University of Connecticut investigation found Dr Dipak K Das guilty of falsifying and fabricating images that appeared in published research.

Serum potassium targets in acute MI need rethink, analysis suggests

Tue, 10 Jan 2012 16:00:00 EST

Recommendations to routinely raise serum potassium levels when ventricular arrhythmias are a concern may be based on outmoded data, according to authors of one of the largest analyses of its kind.

New guidelines suggest blood glucose testing for all inpatients

Tue, 10 Jan 2012 09:30:37 EST

New clinical-practice guidelines from the Endocrine Society say all patients should have a glucose test on admission to the hospital and describe optimal management of hyperglycemia in patients who do not require intensive care.

Aortic stenosis grading system misses rare, high-risk group

Mon, 09 Jan 2012 17:00:00 EST

A new study has examined the clinical outcomes of asymptomatic aortic-stenosis patients classified by valve area plus flow-gradient patterns instead of the older, inherently inconsistent system based on separate area, gradient, and flow measurements.

MitraClip: Encouraging results in nonsurgical patients

Fri, 06 Jan 2012 10:00:00 EST

While the clip did appear to reduce mitral regurgitation and improve remodeling in patients unsuitable for surgery in the EVEREST II trial, problems with the comparator group make the results difficult to interpret.

BRCA1 cancer gene affects cardiac function

Wed, 04 Jan 2012 14:00:00 EST

Canadian researchers have discovered that the BRCA1 gene is implicated in cardiac function, at least in mice. The findings may also have implications for cancer sufferers who have mutations in this gene: they may be at increased risk of heart disease and more likely to suffer cardiotoxicity from chemotherapy.

Enoxaparin prophylaxis doesn't cut mortality in acute-care setting

Fri, 30 Dec 2011 09:00:02 EST

Antithrombotic prophylaxis remains important in this group for other reasons, but don't expect it to necessarily prevent death, according to researchers.

Congress postpones Medicare pay cut

Fri, 23 Dec 2011 09:30:15 EST

UPDATED // After the Senate had overwhelmingly approved the plan and a tumultuous few days among House Republicans, this morning Congress voted to put off a steep cut in Medicare physician reimbursements that was to take effect on January 1, 2012.

European CRT survey bolsters support for CRT-D over CRT-P

Wed, 21 Dec 2011 15:30:39 EST

The survey of contemporary European cardiac resynchronization therapy practices provides lots of information on patients not well represented in clinical trials, including those with major comorbidities and women.

ALTITUDE halted: Adverse events when aliskiren added to ACE, ARB therapy

Tue, 20 Dec 2011 13:20:02 EST

Data and safety monitors for ALTITUDE noted that patients in the trial taking aliskiren instead of placebo on top of ACE or ARB therapy experienced an increased incidence of nonfatal stroke, renal complications, hyperkalemia, and hypotension.

FDA approves first pediatric VAD

Mon, 19 Dec 2011 12:00:17 EST

The FDA has approved the first humanitarian device exemption for a pediatric ventricular assist device.

Combining wireless sensors and genomics for CVD prevention?

Mon, 19 Dec 2011 10:00:31 EST

Monitoring an individual's risk for MI in the future would ideally first take into account his or her genome sequence or other biomarkers and then might use an implanted nanosensor smaller than a grain of sand. In an excerpt from his new book, The Creative Destruction of Medicine, theheart.org's editor in chief offers a glimpse of what that might look like.

Hospital admissions predict readmission for heart failure

Fri, 16 Dec 2011 16:15:00 EST

New research indicates that initial hospital admission rates predict readmission rates for CHF in the US and that these figures vary greatly by region. It's time to reduce incentives to use hospital services, say researchers.

Riata ICD lead "alert" is now a class I recall

Fri, 16 Dec 2011 09:30:00 EST

The US FDA has designated a recent physician advisory letter relating to St Jude Medical's Riata family of ICD leads as a class I recall, the most serious. The letter, issued last month, warned doctors that more leads than it first thought were affected by a problem related to insulation failure.

AHA Statistics: New year, same trends

Thu, 15 Dec 2011 16:00:12 EST

The new annual update on the state of America's heart health is out and provides some encouraging news about outcomes while underscoring the severity of the country's problems with obesity and poor fitness.

Chewing khat increases risk in cardiac patients

Mon, 12 Dec 2011 16:00:00 EST

Researchers in the Middle East are warning doctors about the practice of chewing khat leaves, previously described as a "smokeless gun," which they have shown results in worse outcomes among ACS patients. Far from being benign, this plant contains constituents similar to amphetamines, but neither physicians nor users understand the risks, they say.