Journal of Cardiac Failure

BACKGROUND: Whether timing of hospital presentation impacts care delivery and clinical outcomes for patients hospitalized for heart failure (HF) remains a matter of debate. In this study, we examined all-cause and HF-specific 30-day readmission rates for patients who were admitted for HF on a weekend versus admitted for HF on a weekday. METHODS: We conducted a retrospective analysis using the 2010 - 2019 Nationwide Readmission Database to compare 30-day readmission rates among patients who were admitted for HF on a weekday (Monday-Friday) versus patients who were admitted for HF on a weekend (Saturday-Sunday)...

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No abstract text is available yet for this article.

No abstract text is available yet for this article.

BACKGROUND: Remote monitoring of pulmonary artery (PA) pressures and serial NT-proBNP measurements guide heart failure (HF) treatment, but their association has yet to be described. METHODS: In the Empagliflozin Evaluation by Measuring the Impact on Hemodynamics in Patients with Heart Failure (EMBRACE-HF) trial, patients with HF and a remote PA pressure monitoring device were randomized to empagliflozin versus placebo. PA diastolic pressures (PADP) and NT-proBNP levels were obtained at baseline, 6 and 12 weeks...

BACKGROUND: Truncating titin variants (TTNtv) are the most prevalent genetic etiology of dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM). While TTNtv has been associated with atrial fibrillation, it remains unknown whether and how left atrial (LA) function differs between DCM patients with and without TTNtv. We aimed to determine and compare LA function in DCM patients with and without TTNtv and to evaluate whether and how left ventricular (LV) function affects the LA using computational modeling. METHODS & RESULTS: DCM patients from the Maastricht DCM registry that underwent genetic testing and cardiovascular magnetic resonance (CMR) imaging were included in the current study...

BACKGROUND: While heart transplantation is the gold standard therapy for end-stage heart failure, rates of donor heart utilization remain low due to various factors that are often not evidence-based. The impact of donor hemodynamics obtained via right heart catheterization on recipient survival remains unclear. METHODS: The United Network for Organ Sharing (UNOS) registry was used to identify donors and recipients from September 1999 to December 2019. Donor hemodynamic data were obtained and analyzed using univariate and multivariable logistical regression with the primary endpoints being 1- and 5-year post-transplant survival...

BACKGROUND: The clinical utility of remote telemonitoring to reduce post-discharge healthcare utilization and death in adults with heart failure (HF) remains controversial. METHODS AND RESULTS: Within a large integrated health care delivery system, we matched patients enrolled in a post-discharge telemonitoring intervention from 2015-2019 to patients not receiving telemonitoring at up to a 1:4 ratio on age, sex, and calipers of a propensity score. Primary outcomes were readmissions for worsening heart failure (WHF) and all-cause death within 30, 90, and 365 days of index discharge; secondary outcomes were all-cause readmissions and any outpatient diuretic dose adjustments...

BACKGROUND: The implantable cardiac defibrillator (ICD) based HeartLogicTM algorithm aims to detect impending fluid retention in heart failure (HF) patients. Studies show that HeartLogicTM is safe to integrate in clinical practice. The current study investigates if HeartLogicTM provides clinical benefit on top of standard care and device telemonitoring in HF patients. METHODS: A multicenter retrospective propensity-matched cohort analysis was performed in HF patients with and ICD and compared HeartLogicTM to conventional telemonitoring...

AIMS: In this post hoc analysis of the PARAGON-HF trial, we evaluated clinical outcomes and response to sacubitril/valsartan by duration of heart failure (HF) with left ventricular ejection fraction ≥45% from initial diagnosis. METHODS AND RESULTS: The primary outcome was a composite of total HF hospitalizations and cardiovascular death, analyzed using a semiparametric proportional rates method, stratified by geographic region. Among 4,784 (99.7%) randomized PARAGON-HF participants for whom baseline HF duration was captured, 1,359 (28%) had a HF duration of <6 months, 1,295 (27%) 6 months-2 years, and 2,130 (45%) >2 years...

BACKGROUND: Voice-assisted artificial intelligence (AI)-based systems may streamline clinical care among patients with heart failure (HF) and caregivers; however, randomized clinical trials are needed. We evaluated the potential for Amazon Alexa® (Alexa), a voice-assisted AI-based system, to conduct screening for SARS-CoV2 in a HF clinic. METHODS AND RESULTS: We enrolled 52 participants (patients and caregivers) from a HF clinic, who were randomly assigned with a subsequent cross-over to receive a SARS-CoV-2 screening questionnaire via Alexa or healthcare personnel...

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BACKGROUND: Pulmonary artery catheters (PACs) are increasingly used to guide management decisions in cardiogenic shock (CS). OBJECTIVES: The goal of this study was to determine if PAC use was associated with a lower risk of in-hospital mortality in CS due to acute heart failure (HF-CS). METHODS: Multicenter, retrospective, observational study of CS patients hospitalized between 2019-2021 at 15 US hospitals participating in the Cardiogenic Shock Working Group registry...

No abstract text is available yet for this article.

BACKGROUND: Right heart failure (RHF) is associated with a dismal prognosis in patients with pulmonary hypertension (PH). Exercise right heart catheterization (RHC) may unmask right heart maladaptation as a sign of RHF. AIM: We sought to: i) define the normal limits of RAP increase during exercise; ii) describe the right heart adaptation to exercise in PH due to heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (PH-HFpEF) and in pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH); iii) identify the factors associated with right heart maladaptation during exercise...

PURPOSE: To describe contemporary management and outcomes in children with myocarditis admitted to the cardiac intensive care unit (CICU) and to identify characteristics associated with mortality. METHODS: All patients in the Pediatric Cardiac Critical Care Consortium (PC4 ) registry from 8/2014-6/2021 diagnosed with myocarditis were included. Univariable analyses and multivariable logistic regression evaluated factors associated with in-hospital mortality. RESULTS: There were 847 CICU admissions for myocarditis in 51 centers...

BACKGROUND: Body mass index (BMI) is a known confounder for natriuretic peptides but its influence on other biomarkers is less well described. We investigated whether BMI interacts with biomarkers association with prognosis in patients with acute heart failure (AHF). METHODS AND RESULTS: B-type natriuretic peptide (BNP), high-sensitivity cardiac troponin I (hs-cTnI), galectin-3, serum neutrophil gelatinase associated lipocalin (sNGAL) and urine NGAL were measured serially in AHF patients during hospitalization in the AKINESIS study...

LAY SUMMARY: Acute heart failure (AHF) is a state accompanied by lymphatic system dysregulation. Current knowledge of lymphatic system involvement in the episode of AHF is limited. The lymphatic system is known to be highly responsible for edema formation. In our work, we focused on the analysis of the Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor C (VEGF-C), a known factor responsible for lymphatic system development with AHF symptoms and survival. Our studies presented that low VEGF-C serum levels on admission are associated with more severe signs of accompanying AHF fluid accumulation (defined as ascites and lower extremities edema) and higher mortality rates when compared to medium and high VEGF-C serum levels on admission...

BACKGROUND: Clinical and echocardiographic features may carry diverse information on the development of heart failure (HF). Therefore, we determined heterogeneity in clinical and echocardiographic phenotypes and its association with exercise capacity. METHODS: In 2036 community-dwelling individuals, we defined echocardiographic profiles of left and right heart remodeling and dysfunction. We subdivided the cohort based on presence (+) or absence (-) of HF risk factors and echocardiographic abnormalities (RF-/Echo-, RF-/Echo+, RF+/Echo-, RF+/Echo+)...

BACKGROUND: The current Impella CP pump used for mechanical circulatory support (MCS) in patients with cardiogenic shock (CS) cannot assess native cardiac output (CO) and left ventricular (LV) volumes. This data is valuable in facilitating device management and weaning. Admittance technology allows for accurate assessment of cardiac chamber volumes. OBJECTIVES: This study tested the ability to engineer admittance electrodes onto an existing Impella CP pump to assess total and native CO in an instantaneous manner, as well as LV chamber volumes...