What’s new in the treatment of heart failure? The 2022 AHA/ACC/HFSA Guideline for the Management was just released in the beginning of April! While much of the ground it covers might not seem particularly groundbreaking to anyone who has been paying attention to discussions on #MedTwitter, #CardioTwitter or the latest clinical trials over the last … Read more
The 2022 American College of Cardiology (ACC) meeting was held in Washington DC. It was the first ACC meeting offering both in-person and virtual participation. After two years of uncertainty about the future of scientific meetings, hopefully, the COVID-19 pandemic was under control, and the cardiovascular community had the opportunity to meet colleagues, friends, and … Read more
With an aging population and a higher burden of comorbidities, the proportion of heart failure patients with a preserved ejection fraction, i.e. ejection fraction ≥ 50% is increasing.1 Heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF) now accounts for more than half of all heart failure hospitalizations. Despite the increasing prevalence, HFpEF remains a nebulous entity. … Read more
Heart failure is the leading cause of death in the Western world, causing more than 300,000 deaths per year. Heart failure is also a source of significant economic burden, costing the American healthcare system more than 30 billion dollars in 2012.[i] Cardiac fibrosis is central to the pathology of heart failure. Cardiac fibroblasts are activated … Read more
The number of patients being diagnosed with heart failure (HF) is increasing worldwide, and thus we need to know which medications to avoid or be cautious with prescribing that may cause or exacerbate this medical condition. So, we decided to talk about these medications, how they cause these adverse events in these patients, and their … Read more
#ACC21 came and went, bringing the usual flurry of practice-changing clinical trials, new scientific theories and inquiries, and a wealth of creative ideas showcased through poster presentations. While the virtual format is quite the departure from the in-person atmosphere, it allows flexibility in viewing sessions on-demand and allows individuals that may have an otherwise challenging … Read more
As a 3rd year medical student in the coronary care unit (CCU), I helped care for a patient whose story I will never forget. She had developed advanced heart failure due to peripartum cardiomyopathy in her 20s giving birth to her only child and required a heart transplant. She did well for a number of … Read more
Heart failure is a pervasive diagnosis and unfortunately about 6.2 million adults in the United States suffer from this disease.1 Furthermore, heart failure represents a significant proportion of total healthcare expenditures including the cost of healthcare services, medicines to treat heart failure, and missed days of work. While we often focus on the management of … Read more
AHA 2020 came and went, and now is the time to put into context the scientific advances presented. While all areas of cardiology saw therapeutic innovations, the ever-evolving landscape for heart failure (HF) therapies stood out in particular. These were among the key discoveries shared at AHA20 in the HF space: GALACTIC-HF: In patients with … Read more
Sodium-glucose co-transporter-2 (SGLT-2) inhibitors continue to amaze the world of cardiovascular pharmacotherapeutics. Initially developed as anti-diabetic agents, SGLT-2 inhibitors have demonstrated a wide range of benefits across various patient subsets, most notably those with heart failure. The landmark Dapagliflozin and Prevention of Adverse Outcomes in Heart Failure (DAPA-HF) trial, a phase 3, placebo-controlled trial the … Read more