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Aims Adults with heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF) responded more favourably to an exercise intervention compared with those with reduced ejection fraction. This study explores factors that contributed to this response, focusing on the qualitative perceptions of adults with HFpEF enrolled in an exercise intervention. Methods and results This qualitative descriptive study is a secondary analysis of longitudinal interviews collected at 3, 6, 12, and 18 months from participants with HFpEF enrolled in a randomized controlled trial testing an intervention to promote adherence to exercise. We included participants with at least two interviews. Interviews were examined across and within participants and time points using thematic analysis. Analyses included 67 interviews from 21 adults with HFpEF enrolled in the intervention arm. The sample consisted of 52% (11/21) males and over 47% (10/21) non-White participants. Mean age at enrolment was 63.7 ± 9.9 years. We identified four major themes: (1) overcoming negative attitudes, barriers, and injury, (2) motivations to exercise, (3) exercise—the panacea for HFpEF symptoms and quality of life, and (4) advice for others with HFpEF. Conclusion Our findings suggest that for many adults with HFpEF, initial hesitancy, fear, and negative attitudes about exercise can be overcome. Exercise coaching using social cognitive constructs, medical fitness centre memberships, and heart rate self-monitoring are successful strategies of engaging adults with HFpEF in long-term unsupervised exercise training. Registration ClinicalTrials.gov , NCT01658670. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Thrombocytopenia was immediately observed following pVAD placement, thus questioning the use of platelet count trends as a decision tool to test for HIT. B Introduction: b Thrombocytopenia is often pronounced in patients receiving mechanical circulatory support (MCS) including percutaneous ventricular assist devices (pVAD). This study aimed to determine the incidence of HIT and analyze platelet trends in patients with an Impella pVAD. [Extracted from the article]

Competing Interests: Disclosure: The authors have no conflicts of interest to report.

Treatment strategies to combat cardiogenic shock (CS) have remained stagnant over the past decade. Mortality rates among patients who suffer CS after acute myocardial infarction (AMI) remain high at 50%. Mechanical circulatory support (MCS) devices have evolved as novel treatment strategies to restore systemic perfusion to allow cardiac recovery in the short term, or as durable support devices in refractory heart failure in the long term. Haemodynamic parameters derived from right heart catheterization assist in the selection of an appropriate MCS device and escalation of mechanical support where needed. Evidence favouring the use of one MCS device over another is scant. An intra-aortic balloon pump is the most commonly used short-term MCS device, despite providing only modest haemodynamic support. Impella CP® has been increasingly used for CS in recent times and remains an important focus of research for patients with AMI-CS. Among durable devices, Heartmate® 3 is the most widely used in the USA. Adequately powered randomized controlled trials are needed to compare these MCS devices and to guide the operator for their use in CS. This article provides a brief overview of the types of currently available MCS devices and the indications for their use., Competing Interests: Disclosures: Varunsiri Atti, Mahesh Anantha Narayanan, Brijesh Patel, Sudarshan Balla and Aleem Siddique have no financial or non-financial relationships or activities to declare in relation to this article. Scott Lundgren participated on the speaker's bureau for Abbott. Poonam Velagapudi is on the advisory board and participated on the speaker's bureau for Abiomed, and also participated on the speaker's bureau for Opsens., (© Touch Medical Media 2022.)