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Data regarding cardiogenic shock (CS) from safety-net hospitals serving socioeconomically-disadvantaged patients are limited. In addition, little is known regarding long-term outcomes and management of heart failure-related CS (HF-CS), a population potentially especially vulnerable to adverse social determinants of health (SDOH). A single-center retrospective cohort study of patients with Stage C, D, or E CS at a public safety-net hospital between 2017 and 2023 was performed. Management and outcomes were compared between patients with HF-CS and myocardial infarction-CS (AMI-CS). The primary outcome was survival through 2 years. The cohort included 378 patients (median age 57y, 44% Black race, 35% Hispanic ethnicity, 81% HF-CS, 19% AMI-CS); 23% received mechanical circulatory support. Thirty-day mortality was lower among patients with HF-CS than AMI-CS (16% vs 28%; HR 0.50 [95% CI 0.30 to 0.84], p = 0.01]). In contrast, mortality from 31 days through 2 years was higher after HF-CS (45% vs 22%, HR 1.94 [1.11 to 3.38], p = 0.02). At long-term follow-up, 53% of survivors were on beta blockers and 32% on no guideline-directed medical therapies. Eighteen patients (5%) received transplant or left ventricular assist device, all of whom had HF-CS and survived through available follow up (median 2.3y [0.9 to 4.0]). In conclusion, in a large safety-net hospital serving a diverse population with adverse SDOH, HF-CS was much more common than AMI-CS, with lower short-term but higher long-term mortality in HF-CS. Use of advanced therapies was low, with favorable survival among patients who received these. These results highlight the importance of expanding access to specialized heart failure care for socially vulnerable patients with CS., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2025 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Background: Significant gap remains in the implementation of guideline-directed medical therapy (GDMT) in patients with heart failure after a hospitalization. We aimed to evaluate the use and titration of GDMT at discharge and over a 12-month period after hospital discharge and to identify factors associated with GDMT use and titration., Methods and Results: The CONNECT-HF (Care Optimization Through Patient and Hospital Engagement Clinical Trial for Heart Failure) trial evaluated the effect of a hospital and postdischarge quality improvement intervention in participants with heart failure with reduced ejection fraction. In this secondary analysis, we examined use and titration to at least 50% of the target dose of GDMTs at hospital discharge and over time. Among 4646 participants (mean age 63 years, 34% women), GDMT use did not numerically improve from discharge to 12 months: beta blockers (84%-78%), angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors/angiotensin II receptor blockers/angiotensin receptor-neprilysin inhibitors (73%-65%), mineralocorticoid receptor antagonists (39%-36%), and sodium-glucose cotransporter 2 inhibitors (1.5%-2.1%). Achieving ≥50% of the target dose also showed little change over 12 months: beta blockers (35%-32%), angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors/angiotensin II receptor blockers/angiotensin receptor-neprilysin inhibitors (28%-25%). For all medications, use of GDMT at discharge was associated with the use and achieving ≥50% of the target dose at 12 months., Conclusions: Following a hospitalization for heart failure, GDMT use remained low and did not numerically improve over 12 months. Use of GDMT at discharge was significantly associated with the use of GDMT over time, highlighting the importance of initiating GDMT during hospitalization.

Purpose of Review: To examine the evolving multifaceted nature of cardiogenic shock (CS) in the context of non-cardiac biomarkers that may improve CS management and risk stratification., Recent Findings: There are increasing data highlighting the role of lactate, glucose, and other markers of inflammation and end-organ dysfunction in CS. These biomarkers provide a more comprehensive understanding of the concurrent hemo-metabolic and cellular disturbances observed in CS and offer insights beyond standard structural and functional cardiac assessments. Non-cardiac biomarkers both refine the diagnostic accuracy and improve the prognostic assessments in CS. Further studies revolving around novel biomarkers are warranted to support more targeted and effective therapeutic and management interventions in these high-risk patients., (© 2024. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Science+Business Media, LLC, part of Springer Nature.)

In this issue of the Journal of Cardiac Failure, Dr. Sooyoon Shin and colleagues look at whether information from wearable devices, or activity trackers, could improve how a medical team monitors activity limitations for people who are at risk of developing heart failure symptoms., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Competing Interests: Disclosures None.

Background: Guideline-directed medical therapies (GDMTs) are the mainstay of treatment for heart failure with reduced ejection fraction (HFrEF), but they are underused. Whether sex differences exist in the initiation and intensification of GDMT for newly diagnosed HFrEF is not well established., Methods: Patients with incident HFrEF were identified from the 2016 to 2020 Optum deidentified Clinformatics Data Mart Database, which is derived from a database of administrative health claims for members of large commercial and Medicare Advantage health plans. The primary outcome was the use of optimal GDMT within 12 months of HFrEF diagnosis. Consistent with the guideline recommendations during the time period of the study, optimal GDMT was defined as ≥50% of the target dose of evidence-based beta-blocker plus ≥50% of the target dose of angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitor or angiotensin receptor blocker, or any dose of angiotensin receptor neprilysin inhibitor plus any dose of mineralocorticoid receptor antagonist. The probability of achieving optimal GDMT on follow-up and predictors of optimal GDMT were evaluated with time-to-event analysis with adjusted Cox proportional hazard models., Results: The study cohort included 63 759 patients (mean age, 71.3 years; 15.2% non-Hispanic Black race; 56.6% male). Optimal GDMT use was achieved by 6.2% of patients at 12 months after diagnosis. Female (compared with male) patients with HFrEF had lower use across every GDMT class and lower use of optimal GDMT at each time point at follow-up. In an adjusted Cox model, female sex was associated with a 23% lower probability of achieving optimal GDMT after diagnosis (hazard ratio [HR], 0.77 [95% CI, 0.71-0.83]; P <0.001). The sex disparities in GDMT use after HFrEF diagnosis were most pronounced among patients with commercial insurance (females compared with males; HR, 0.66 [95% CI, 0.58-0.76]) compared with Medicare (HR, 0.85 [95% CI, 0.77-0.92]); P interaction sex×insurance status=0.005) and for younger patients (age <65 years: HR, 0.65 [95% CI, 0.58-0.74]) compared with older patients (age ≥65 years: HR, 87 [95% CI, 80-96]) P interaction sex×age=0.009)., Conclusions: Overall use of optimal GDMT after HFrEF diagnosis was low, with significantly lower use among female (compared with male) patients. These findings highlight the need for implementation efforts directed at improving GDMT initiation and titration., Competing Interests: Disclosures Dr Keshvani reports consulting fees from Heart Test Laboratories and Tricog Health. Dr Fonarow reports consulting for Abbott, Amgen, AstraZeneca, Bayer, Cytokinetics, Eli Lilly, Janssen, Medtronic, Merck, Novartis, and Pfizer. Dr Pandey has received honoraria outside of the present study as an advisor/consultant for Tricog Health Inc, Lilly USA, Rivus, Cytokinetics, Roche Diagnostics, Axon Therapies, Medtronic, Edward Lifesciences, Science37, Novo Nordisk, Bayer, Merck, Sarfez Pharmaceuticals, and Emmi Solutions, as well as nonfinancial support from Pfizer and Merck. Dr Pandey is also a consultant for Palomarin Inc with stock compensation. The other authors report no conflicts.

Competing Interests: Disclosures Dr Bradi B. Granger reports research funding through her institution from the American Heart Association, AstraZeneca, the Centers for Disease Control, the Alpha Phi Foundation, and the National Institutes of Health (NIH). Dr Fonarow reports consulting for Abbott, Amgen, AstraZeneca, Bayer, Cytokinetics, Eli Lilly, Janssen, Medtronic, Merck, Novartis, and Pfizer. Dr Albert reports consulting for American Regent, AstraZeneca, Boehringer Ingelheim, Boston Scientific, Cytokinetics, Eli Lilly, and Merck and received research support from AstraZeneca and Novartis. Dr Butler has served as a consultant for Abbott, American Regent, Amgen, Applied Therapeutic, AstraZeneca, Bayer, Boehringer Ingelheim, Bristol Myers Squibb, Cardiac Dimension, Cardior, CVRx, Cytokinetics, Edwards, Element Science, Innolife, Impulse Dynamics, Imbria, Inventiva, Lexicon, Lilly, LivaNova, Janssen, Medtronic, Merck, Occlutech, Novartis, Novo Nordisk, Pfizer, Pharmacosmos, Pharmain, Roche, Sequana, SQ Innovation, and Vifor. Dr Allen received grant funding from the NIH and the Patient Centered Outcomes Research Institute and consulting fees from ACI Clinical, Boston Scientific, Cytokinetics, and Novartis. Dr Lanfear is a consultant for Abbott Laboratories, Amgen, AstraZeneca, Cytokinetics, Illumina, Janssen, Martin Pharmaceuticals, Vicardia, and the Duke Clinical Research Institute (Novartis) and has participated in clinical research from Amgen, AstraZeneca, Bayer, Critical Diagnostics, Illumina, Lilly, Somalogic, and Janssen. Dr DeVore reports research funding through his institution from Biofourmis, Bodyport, Cytokinetics, American Regent Inc, NIH, the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, Novartis, and Story Health and also provides consulting services for and receives honoraria from Abiomed, Cardionomic, LivaNova, Natera, NovoNordisk, Story Health, and Zoll. The other authors report no conflicts.

The prognostic utility of the oxygen uptake efficiency slope (OUES) in heart failure with reduced ejection fraction is uncertain. In this post hoc analysis of the HF-ACTION (Heart Failure: A Controlled Trial Investigating Outcomes of Exercise Training) trial (n = 2,074), we tested for associations of OUES and peak oxygen uptake (VO 2 ) with heart failure hospitalization or cardiovascular death in multivariable Cox regression models, adjusting for minute ventilation/carbon dioxide production (VE/VCO 2 ) slope and other important confounders. Harrell's C-statistics assessed the discriminatory performance of OUES and peak VO 2 . Lower OUES was associated with increased risk of the outcome (quartile 1 vs 4: hazard ratio 2.1 [1.5 to 2.9, p <0.001]). Peak VO 2 had greater discrimination than OUES in comparable models (e.g., C-statistic = 0.73 vs 0.70, p <0.001, respectively). In the subgroup with respiratory exchange ratio <1 (n = 358), peak VO 2 was associated with the outcome (p <0.001) but OUES was not (p = 0.96). In conclusion, whereas OUES was associated with clinical outcomes independently of VE/VCO 2 slope, its prognostic utility was inferior to that of peak VO 2 , even when measured at submaximal effort., Competing Interests: Declaration of Competing Interest The authors have no conflicts of interest to declare., (Copyright © 2023 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Competing Interests: Disclosures JT served on the task force for the 2020 ACC/AHA Clinical Performance and Quality Measures for Adults with Heart Failure. The other authors have no competing interests to report.

The thermodilution (TD) method is routinely used for the estimation of cardiac output (Q̇ C ). However, its accuracy, compared with the gold-standard Fick method, where systemic oxygen uptake (V̇O 2 ) is directly measured, and Q̇ C calculated from V̇O 2 and the arterio-venous oxygen difference ("direct" Fick), has not been well validated. The present study determined the agreement between TD and Fick methods in consecutive patients who underwent pulmonary artery catheterization for a broad range of clinical conditions. This is a subanalysis of a previous study comparing the indirect versus Fick method based on a prospective, consecutive patient registry of 253 patients who underwent pulmonary artery catheterization for clinical indications at a single center between 1999 and 2005. We included patients that had an estimation of Q̇ C both by the Fick method using measured V̇O 2 by exhaled gas analyses from timed Douglas bag collections and by TD. Cardiac index was classified as low when ≤2.2 L/min/m 2 or normal when >2.2 L/min/m 2 . The median (25th, 75th percentile) age of the cohort was 59 (50,67) years, and 50% were female. A total of 43.5% had normal left ventricular function by ventriculography, and 25.7% had ischemic heart disease. Median overall Fick and TD Q̇ C were 4.4 (3.5, 5.5) and 4.3 (3.7, 5.2) L/min, respectively (p = 0.04). The median absolute percent error between Fick and TD Q̇ C was 17.5 (7.7, 28.4)%, with a typical error of 0.88 L/min (95% confidence interval [CI] 0.82 to 0.95). Median absolute percent error was comparable in the low (n = 118) and normal Q̇ CI (n = 135) groups (16.9% vs 18.9%, respectively, p = 0.88). typical error was 0.3 (95% CI 0.27 to 0.33) and 0.49 (95% CI 0.45 to 0.55) L/min/m 2 in that comparison. Percent error >25% between Fick and TD Q̇ C was observed in over 30% of patients. Overall, Fick and TD Q̇ C modestly correlated (R s  = 0.64, p <0.001), with a nondirectional error introduced by TD Q̇ C [mean bias of 0.21 (-2.2, 2.7) L/min]. There was poor agreement between TD and the gold-standard Fick method, highlighting the limitations of making clinical decisions based on TD., (Copyright © 2022 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Background: Clinical congestion is associated with adverse outcomes in patients with heart failure. The pathophysiological mediators of this association remain uncertain., Methods and Results: We prospectively enrolled a cohort of patients with heart failure and reduced left ventricular ejection fraction and performed a detailed clinical examination followed on the same day by an invasive right heart catheterization and blood sampling for biomarkers. High-sensitivity troponin T and N-terminal pro-B-type natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP) levels were measured. A clinical congestion score was calculated based on jugular venous pressure (cm H 2 0 <10 = 0, 10-14 = 1, >14 = 2 points), bendopnea (0 vs 1), a third heart sound (0 vs 1), or peripheral edema (0-2). Congestion was categorized into tiers as absent (0 points), mild (1 point), or moderate to severe (≥ 2 points). We tested for associations of high-sensitivity troponin T, NT-proBNP, and elevated ventricular filling pressures with clinical congestion in both univariate and multivariable analyses. Of 153 participants, 65 (42%) had absent, 35 mild (23%), and 53 (35%) had moderate to severe clinical congestion. Congestion tier was associated with higher NT-proBNP and hs-troponin levels, and the right atrial pressure and pulmonary capillary wedge pressure (P < .001 for each). Increased congestion tier was also associated with the coexistent presence of elevated troponin T (≥52 ng/L), NT-proBNP (≥1000 pg/mL), and pulmonary capillary wedge pressure (≥22 mm Hg). Specifically, 78% of those with absent clinical congestion had 0 to 1 of these findings, whereas 75% of those with moderate-severe congestion had 2 or all 3 of these abnormalities (P < .001). An elevated hs-troponin was associated with mild or greater clinical congestion (odds ratio 3, 95% confidence interval 1.2-7.5, P = .02) in multivariable analysis adjusting for potential confounders including the right atrial pressure, pulmonary capillary wedge pressure, and NT-proBNP levels., Conclusions: Clinical congestion is a phenotype in which there is a high coexistent presence of elevated ventricular filling pressures, elevated natriuretic peptide levels, and subclinical myocardial injury. An elevated troponin was associated with clinical congestion in multivariable models that adjusted for ventricular filling pressures and natriuretic peptide levels. These data strengthen the evidence base for an association of elevated troponin with clinical congestion, suggesting that subclinical myocardial injury may be an important contributor to the pathophysiology of the congested state., (Copyright © 2021 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Introduction: Patients with ambulatory advanced heart failure (HF) are increasingly considered for durable mechanical circulatory support (MCS) and heart transplantation and their effective triage requires careful assessment of the clinical trajectory., Methods: REVIVAL, a prospective, observational study, enrolled 400 ambulatory advanced HF patients from 21 MCS/transplant centers in 2015-2016. Study design included a clinical re-assessment of Interagency Registry for Mechanically Assisted Circulatory Support (INTERMACS) profile within 120 days after enrollment. The prognostic impact of a worsening INTERMACS Profile assigned by the treating physician was assessed at 1 year after the Early Relook., Results: Early Relook was done in 325 of 400 patients (81%), of whom 24% had a worsened INTERMACS Profile, associated with longer HF history and worse baseline INTERMACS profile, but no difference in baseline LVEF (median 0.20), 6-minute walk, quality of life, or other baseline parameters. Early worsening predicted higher rate of the combined primary endpoint of death, urgent MCS, or urgent transplant by 1 year after Early Relook, (28% vs 15%), with hazard ratio 2.2 (95% CI 1.2- 3.8; p = .006) even after adjusting for baseline INTERMACS Profile and Seattle HF Model score. Deterioration to urgent MCS occurred in 14% vs 5% (p = .006) during the year after Early Relook., Conclusions: Early Relook identifies worsening of INTERMACS Profile in a significant population of ambulatory advanced HF, who had worse outcomes over the subsequent year. Early reassessment of ambulatory advanced HF patients should be performed to better define the trajectory of illness and inform triage to advanced therapies., Competing Interests: Disclosure P.S. reports the following grant support: American Heart Association/Enduring Hearts Scientist Development Grant, Merck, Haemonetrics, and Medtronic. Consulting: NuPulse CV and Ortho Clinical Diagnostics. K.D.A. reports the following related to the submitted work: the National Institutes of Health/National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (contract) and outside the submitted work: Medtronic (research support and consultant [Independent Physician Quality Panel member]), Abbott (research support), Procyrion (consultant), NuPulseCV (consultant), Bioventrix (research support). M.K., A.V.A., S.P., J.T., N.A.G., G.A.E., J.S., M.P., J.D.E., J.T.B., W.T.P., T.M.C., N.J., L.W.S., D.L.M., G.C.S., M.Y., B.R., and S.K have no conflicts of interest to disclose., (Copyright © 2021 International Society for Heart and Lung Transplantation. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Background: In ≈25% of patients with heart failure and reduced left-ventricular ejection fraction, right-ventricular (RV), and left-ventricular (LV) filling pressures are discordant (ie, one is elevated while the other is not). Whether clinical assessment allows detection of this discordance is unknown. We sought to determine the agreement of clinically versus invasively determined patterns of ventricular congestion., Methods: In 156 heart failure and reduced LV ejection fraction subjects undergoing invasive hemodynamic assessment, we categorized patterns of ventricular congestion (no congestion, RV only, LV only, or both) based on clinical findings of RV (jugular venous distention) or LV (hepatojugular reflux, orthopnea, or bendopnea) congestion. Agreement between clinically and invasively determined (RV congestion if right atrial pressure [RAP] ≥10 mm Hg and LV congestion if pulmonary capillary wedge pressure [PCWP] ≥22 mm Hg) categorizations was the primary end point., Results: The frequency of clinical patterns of congestion was: 51% no congestion, 24% both RV and LV, 21% LV only, and 4% RV only. Jugular venous distention had excellent discrimination for elevated RAP (C=0.88). However, agreement between clinical and invasive congestion patterns was poor, к=0.44 (95% CI, 0.34-0.55). While those with no clinical congestion usually had low RAP and PCWP (67/79, 85%), over one-half (24/38, 64%) with isolated LV clinical congestion had PCWP <22 mm Hg, most (5/7, 71%) with isolated RV clinical congestion had PCWP ≥22 mm Hg, and ≈one-third (10/32, 31%) with both RV and LV clinical congestion had elevated RAP but PCWP <22 mm Hg., Conclusions: While clinical examination allows accurate detection of elevated RAP, it does not allow accurate detection of discordant RV and LV filling pressures.

Background Patient-reported outcomes may be discordant to severity of illness as assessed by objective parameters. The frequency of this discordance and its influence on clinical outcomes in patients with heart failure is unknown. Methods and Results In HF-ACTION (Heart Failure: A Controlled Trial Investigating Outcomes of Exercise Training), participants (N=2062) had baseline assessment of health-related quality of life via the Kansas City Cardiomyopathy Clinical Summary score (KCCQ-CS) and objective severity by cardiopulmonary stress testing (minute ventilation [V E ]/carbon dioxide production [VCO 2 ] slope). We defined 4 groups by median values: 2 concordant (lower severity: high KCCQ-CS and low V E /VCO 2 slope; higher severity: low KCCQ-CS and high V E /VCO 2 slope) and 2 discordant (symptom minimizer: high KCCQ-CS and high V E /VCO 2 slope; symptom magnifier: low KCCQ-CS and low V E /VCO 2 slope). The association of group assignment with mortality was assessed in adjusted Cox models. Symptom magnification (23%) and symptom minimization (23%) were common. Despite comparable KCCQ-CS scores, the risk of all-cause mortality in symptom minimizers versus concordant-lower severity participants was increased significantly (hazard ratio [HR], 1.79; 95% CI, 1.27-2.50; P <0.001). Furthermore, despite symptom magnifiers having a KCCQ-CS score 28 points lower (poorer QOL) than symptom minimizers, their risk of mortality was not increased (HR, 0.79; 95% CI, 0.57-1.1; P =0.18, respectively). Conclusions Severity of illness by patient report versus cardiopulmonary exercise testing was frequently discordant. Mortality tracked more closely with the objective data, highlighting the importance of relying not only on patient report, but also objective data when risk stratifying patients with heart failure.

Bendopnea, or dyspnoea with bending forward, is a recently described symptom of heart failure that is associated with elevated ventricular filling pressures. Here, we describe a case of superior vena cava (SVC) stenosis that presented with bendopnea and resolved with SVC recanalisation. We suggest that SVC stenosis be considered in the differential diagnosis of patients who experience bendopnea., Competing Interests: Competing interests: None declared., (© BMJ Publishing Group Limited 2021. No commercial re-use. See rights and permissions. Published by BMJ.)

Objectives: This study sought to determine cardiopulmonary exercise (CPX) predictors of the combined outcome of durable mechanical circulatory support (MCS), transplantation, or death at 1 year among patients with ambulatory advanced heart failure (HF)., Background: Optimal CPX predictors of outcomes in contemporary ambulatory advanced HF patients are unclear., Methods: REVIVAL (Registry Evaluation of Vital Information for ventricular assist devices [VADs] in Ambulatory Life) enrolled 400 systolic HF patients, INTERMACS (Interagency Registry for Mechanically Assisted Circulatory Support) profiles 4-7. CPX was performed by 273 subjects 2 ± 1 months after study enrollment. Discriminative power of maximal (peak oxygen consumption [peak VO 2 ]; VO 2 pulse, circulatory power [CP]; peak systolic blood pressure • peak VO 2 ], peak end-tidal pressure CO 2 [PEtCO 2 ], and peak Borg scale score) and submaximal CPX parameters (ventilatory efficiency [VE/VCO 2 slope]; VO 2 at anaerobic threshold [VO 2 AT]; and oxygen uptake efficiency slope [OUES]) to predict the composite outcome were assessed by univariate and multivariate Cox regression and Harrell's concordance statistic., Results: At 1 year, there were 39 events (6 transplants, 15 deaths, 18 MCS implantations). Peak VO 2 , VO 2 AT, OUES, peak PEtCO 2 , and CP were higher in the no-event group (all p < 0.001), whereas VE/VCO 2 slope was lower (p < 0.0001); respiratory exchange ratio was not different. CP (hazard ratio [HR]: 0.89; p = 0.001), VE/VCO 2 slope (HR: 1.05; p = 0.001), and peak Borg scale score (HR: 1.20; p = 0.005) were significant predictors on multivariate analysis (model C-statistic: 0.80)., Conclusions: Among patients with ambulatory advanced HF, the strongest maximal and submaximal CPX predictor of MCS implantation, transplantation, or death at 1 year were CP and VE/VCO 2, respectively. The patient-reported measure of exercise effort (Borg scale score) contributed substantially to the prediction of outcomes, a surprising and novel finding that warrants further investigation. (Registry Evaluation of Vital Information for VADs in Ambulatory Life [REVIVAL]; NCT01369407)., Competing Interests: Funding support and Author Disclosures Supported by U.S. National Institutes of Health, National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI) contract HHSN268201100026C, and National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences grant UL1TR002240. The views expressed in this manuscript are those of the authors and do not necessarily represent the views of the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI), National Institutes of Health, or the US Department of Health and Human Services. Dr. Lanfear has received research grants from NHLBI (R01HL132154), Amgen, Bayer, and Janssen; and is a consultant for Amgen, Janssen, Ortho Diagnostics, and Novartis. All other authors have reported that they have no relationships relevant to the contents of this paper to disclose., (Copyright © 2021 American College of Cardiology Foundation. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has a high incidence of cardiac involvement, commonly described as a new-onset cardiomyopathy. In this report, we describe a patient with a new manifestation of cardiac involvement in the setting of a COVID-19 diagnosis: that of takotsubo cardiomyopathy.

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, US federal and state governments have implemented wide-ranging stay-at-home recommendations as a means to reduce spread of infection. As a consequence, many US healthcare systems and practices have curtailed ambulatory clinic visits-pillars of care for patients with heart failure (HF). In this context, synchronous audio/video interactions, also known as virtual visits (VVs), have emerged as an innovative and necessary alternative. This scientific statement outlines the benefits and challenges of VVs, enumerates changes in policy and reimbursement that have increased the feasibility of VVs during the COVID-19 era, describes platforms and models of care for VVs, and provides a vision for the future of VVs., (Copyright © 2020 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Background: Worsening heart failure (HF) and health-related quality of life (HRQOL) have been shown to impact the decision to proceed with left ventricular assist device (LVAD) implantation, but little is known about how socioeconomic factors influence expressed patient preference for LVAD., Methods and Results: Ambulatory patients with advanced systolic HF (n=353) reviewed written information about LVAD therapy and completed a brief survey to indicate whether they would want an LVAD to treat their current level of HF. Ordinal logistic regression analyses identified clinical and demographic predictors of LVAD preference. Higher New York Heart Association (NYHA) class, worse HRQOL measured by Kansas City Cardiomyopathy Questionnaire, lower education level, and lower income were significant univariable predictors of patients wanting an LVAD. In the multivariable model, higher NYHA class (OR [odds ratio]: 1.43, CI [confidence interval]: 1.08-1.90, P = .013) and lower income level (OR: 2.10, CI: 1.18 - 3.76, P = .012 for <$40,000 vs >$80,000) remained significantly associated with wanting an LVAD., Conclusion: Among ambulatory patients with advanced systolic HF, treatment preference for LVAD was influenced by level of income independent of HF severity. Understanding the impact of socioeconomic factors on willingness to consider LVAD therapy may help tailor counseling towards individual needs., (Copyright © 2019 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Background: The outlook for ambulatory patients with advanced heart failure (HF) and the appropriate timing for left ventricular assist device (LVAD) or transplant remain uncertain. The aim of this study was to better understand disease trajectory and rates of progression to subsequent LVAD therapy and transplant in ambulatory advanced HF., Methods: Patients with advanced HF who were New York Heart Association (NYHA) Class III or IV and Interagency Registry for Mechanically Assisted Circulatory Support (INTERMACS) Profiles 4 to 7, despite optimal medical therapy (without inotropic therapy), were enrolled across 11 centers and followed for the end-points of survival, transplantation, LVAD placement, and health-related quality of life. A secondary intention-to-treat survival analysis compared outcomes for MedaMACS patients with a matched group of Profile 4 to 7 patients with LVADs from the INTERMACS registry., Results: Between May 2013 and October 2015, 161 patients were enrolled with INTERMACS Profiles 4 (12%), 5 (32%), 6 (49%), and 7 (7%). By 2 years after enrollment, 75 (47%) patients had reached a primary end-point with 39 (24%) deaths, 17 (11%) undergoing LVAD implantation, and 19 (12%) receiving a transplant. Compared with 1,753 patients with Profiles 4 to 7 receiving LVAD therapy, there was no overall difference in intention-to-treat survival between medical and LVAD therapy, but survival with LVAD therapy was superior to medical therapy among Profile 4 and 5 patients (p = 0.0092). Baseline health-related quality of life was lower among patients receiving a LVAD than those enrolled on continuing oral medical therapy, but increased after 1 year for survivors in both cohorts., Conclusions: Ambulatory patients with advanced HF are at high risk for poor outcomes, with only 53% alive on medical therapy after 2 years of follow-up. Survival was similar for medical and LVAD therapy in the overall cohort, which included the lower severity Profiles 6 and 7, but survival was better with LVAD therapy among patients in Profiles 4 and 5. Given the poor outcomes in this group of advanced HF patients, timely consideration of transplant and LVAD is of critical importance., (Copyright © 2018 International Society for Heart and Lung Transplantation. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Bloodstream infections (BSIs) are common in patients with continuous-flow left ventricular assist devices (CF-LVADs). Whether CF-LVADs modulate the febrile response to BSIs is unknown. We retrospectively compared the febrile response to BSIs in patients with heart failure (HF) with CF-LVADs versus a control population of patients with HF receiving inotropic infusions. BSIs were adjudicated using the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the National Healthcare Safety Network criteria. Febrile status (temperature ≥38°C, 100.4 °F), temperature at presentation with BSI, and the highest temperature within 72 hours (Tmax) were collected. We observed 59 BSIs in LVAD patients and 45 BSIs in controls. LVAD patients were more likely to be afebrile and to have a lower temperature at presentation than control (88% vs 58%, p=0.002, and 37°C ±0.7 vs 37.7°C ±1.0, p=0.0009, respectively). By 72 hours, the difference in afebrile status diminished (53% vs 44%, p=0.42), and the Tmax was similar between the LVAD and control groups (37.9°C±0.9 vs 38.2°C±0.8, respectively, p=0.10). In conclusion, at presentation with a BSI, the vast majority of CF-LVAD patients were afebrile, an event which occurred at a higher frequency when compared with patients with advanced HF on chronic inotropes via an indwelling venous catheter. These data alert clinicians to have a very low threshold to obtain blood cultures in CF-LVAD patients even in the absence of fever. Further study is needed to determine whether a delayed or diminished febrile response represents another pathophysiological consequence of CF-LVADs., Competing Interests: Competing interests: None declared., (© American Federation for Medical Research 2019. No commercial re-use. See rights and permissions. Published by BMJ.)

Objectives: Bendopnea is a recently described symptom of advanced heart failure. Its prevalence and prognostic utility in other cardiac conditions are unknown., Methods: We prospectively enrolled 108 consecutive patients (75 ± 3 years, 68% men) with severe symptomatic aortic stenosis referred for surgical aortic valve replacement (SAVR). Preoperatively, patients were tested for bendopnea, which was considered to be present when dyspnoea occurred within 30 s of bending forward. Univariable and stepwise multivariable analyses tested the association of bendopnea with preoperative echocardiographic parameters and postoperative clinical outcomes., Results: Bendopnea was present in 46 of 108 (42%) patients. The mean time of onset was 10.5 ± 3.4 s. Bendopnea was associated with higher estimated pulmonary artery systolic pressures [51 (11) mmHg vs 40 (11) mmHg), P < 0.0001], smaller aortic valve area [0.66 (0.16) cm2 vs 0.76 (0.13) cm2, P = 0.0006] and longer duration of mechanical ventilation (P = 0.002) and length of stay in the hospital (P = 0.007). Following SAVR, in-hospital mortality in those with bendopnea versus those without bendopnea was 13% vs 3% (P = 0.07). In multivariable analysis, bendopnea was associated with duration of mechanical ventilation (parameter estimate 2.4, P < 0.0001) and length of stay in the hospital (parameter estimate 10.2, P ≤ 0.0001)., Conclusions: Bendopnea was present in a sizeable minority of patients (42%) with severe aortic stenosis referred for SAVR. Bendopnea was associated with higher pulmonary artery systolic pressure and smaller aortic valve area preoperatively and with longer duration of mechanical ventilation and length of hospitalization postoperatively. These data suggest that bendopnea provides prognostic information in patients with severe aortic stenosis undergoing SAVR.

Despite advances in biomarkers and technology, the clinical examination (i.e., a history and physical examination) remains central in the management of patients with heart failure. Specifically, the clinical examination allows noninvasive assessment of the patient's underlying hemodynamic state, based on whether the patient has elevated ventricular filling pressures and/or an inadequate cardiac index. Such assessments provide important prognostic information and help guide therapeutic decision-making. Herein, the authors critically assess the utility of the clinical examination for these purposes and provide practical tips we have gleaned from our practice in the field of advanced heart failure. The authors note that the ability to assess for congestion is superior to that for inadequate perfusion. Furthermore, in current practice, elevated left ventricular filling pressures are inferred by findings related to an elevated right atrial pressure. They discuss an emerging classification system from the clinical examination that categorizes patients based on whether elevation of ventricular filling pressures occurs on the right side, left side, or both sides., (Copyright © 2018 American College of Cardiology Foundation. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Background: Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) is frequently complicated by development of a cardiomyopathy. Despite significant medical advances provided to DMD patients over the past 2 decades, there remains a group of DMD patients who die prematurely. The current study sought to identify a set of prognostic factors that portend a worse outcome among adult DMD patients., Methods and Results: A retrospective cohort of 43 consecutive patients was followed in the adult UT Southwestern Neuromuscular Cardiomyopathy Clinic. Clinical data were abstracted from the electronic medical record to generate baseline characteristics. The population was stratified by survival to time of analysis and compared with characteristics associated with death. The DMD population was in the early 20s, with median follow-up times over 2 years. All the patients had developed a cardiomyopathy, with the majority of the patients on angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors (86%) and steroids (56%), but few other guideline-directed heart failure medications. Comparison between the nonsurviving and surviving cohorts found several poor prognostic factors, including lower body mass index (17.3 [14.8-19.3] versus 25.8 [20.8-29.1] kg/m 2 , P <0.01), alanine aminotransferase levels (26 [18-42] versus 53 [37-81] units/L, P =0.001), maximum inspiratory pressures (13 [0-30] versus 33 [25-40] cmH 2 O, P =0.03), and elevated cardiac biomarkers (N-terminal pro-brain natriuretic peptide: 288 [72-1632] versus 35 [21-135] pg/mL, P =0.03]., Conclusions: The findings demonstrate a DMD population with a high burden of cardiomyopathy. The nonsurviving cohort was comparatively underweight, and had worse respiratory profiles and elevated cardiac biomarkers. Collectively, these factors highlight a high-risk cardiovascular population with a worse prognosis., (© 2017 The Authors. Published on behalf of the American Heart Association, Inc., by Wiley.)

Objectives: This study assessed patient and physician perceptions of heart failure (HF) disease severity and treatment options., Background: The prognosis for ambulatory patients with advanced HF on medical therapy is uncertain, yet has important implications for decision making regarding transplantation and left ventricular assist device (LVAD) placement., Methods: Ambulatory patients with advanced HF (New York Heart Association functional class III to IV, Interagency Registry for Mechanically Assisted Circulatory Support profiles 4 to 7) on optimized medical therapy were enrolled across 11 centers. At baseline, treating cardiologists rated patients for perceived risk for transplant, LVAD, or death in the upcoming year. Patients were also surveyed about their own perceptions of life expectancy and willingness to undergo various interventions., Results: At enrollment, physicians regarded 111 of 161 patients (69%) of the total cohort to be at high risk for transplant, LVAD, or death, whereas only 23 patients (14%) felt they were at high risk. After a mean follow-up of 13 months, 61 patients (38%) experienced an endpoint of 33 deaths (21%), 13 transplants (8%), and 15 LVAD implants (9%). There was poor discrimination between risk prediction among both patients and physicians. Among physician-identified high-risk patients, 77% described willingness to consider LVAD, but 63% indicated that they would decline 1 or more other simpler forms of life-sustaining therapy such as ventilation, dialysis, or a feeding tube., Conclusions: Among patients with advanced HF, physicians identified most to be at high risk for transplantation, LVAD, or death, whereas few patients recognized themselves to be at high risk. Patients expressed inconsistent attitudes toward lifesaving treatments, possibly indicating poor understanding of these therapies. Educational interventions regarding disease severity and treatment options should be introduced prior to the need for advanced therapies such as intravenous inotropic therapy, transplantation, or LVAD., (Copyright © 2017 American College of Cardiology Foundation. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

A young man with Duchenne muscular dystrophy presented to the UT Southwestern Neuromuscular Cardiomyopathy Clinic with advanced heart failure. Despite maximal medical therapy, his cardiac function continued to decline requiring initiation of inotrope therapy. Given the patient's clinical deterioration, a left ventricular assist device (LVAD) was implanted as destination therapy after undergoing a multidisciplinary assessment. The patient tolerated the surgical implantation of the LVAD without any significant complications, and he has had a relatively unremarkable course 38 months post-LVAD implantation. A critical factor contributing to the long-term success of this patient was the decision to select an LVAD that would not disrupt the diaphragm and thus preserve the respiratory muscle strength. This case demonstrates that permanent mechanical LVADs should be considered for appropriately selected Duchenne muscular dystrophy patients with medically refractory end-stage cardiomyopathy., (© 2017 The Authors. ESC Heart Failure published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of the European Society of Cardiology.)

Background: Recently, the symptom of bendopnea, that is, shortness of breath when bending forwards such as when putting on shoes, has been described in heart failure patients and found to be associated with higher ventricular filling pressures, particularly in the setting of low cardiac index. However, it is not known whether bendopnea is associated with clinical outcomes., Methods: In a prospective convenience sample of 179 patients followed in our heart failure disease management clinic, we determined the presence of bendopnea at the time of enrollment and ascertained clinical outcomes through 1 year of follow-up. We performed univariate and stepwise multivariable modeling to test the association of bendopnea with clinical outcomes., Results: Bendopnea was present in 32 of 179 (18%) subjects. At 1 year, those with versus without bendopnea were at increased risk of the composite endpoint of death, heart failure admission, inotrope initiation, left ventricular assist device implantation, or cardiac transplantation in univariate (hazard ratio [HR] 1.9, P < .05) but not multivariable (HR 1.9, P = .11) analysis. Bendopnea was more strongly associated with short-term outcomes including heart failure admission at 3 months in both univariate (HR 3.1, P < .004) and multivariable (HR 2.5, P = .04) analysis., Conclusions: Bendopnea was associated with an increased risk of adverse outcomes in ambulatory patients with heart failure, particularly heart failure admission at 3 months., (Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Background: The prognosis of ambulatory patients with advanced heart failure (HF) who are not yet inotrope dependent and implications for evaluation and timing for transplant or destination therapy with a left ventricular assist device (DT-LVAD) are unknown. We hypothesized that the characteristics defining eligibility for advanced HF therapies would be a primary determinant of outcomes in these patients., Methods: Ambulatory patients with advanced HF (New York Heart Association class III-IV, Interagency Registry for Mechanically Assisted Circulatory Support profiles 4-7) were enrolled across 11 centers from May 2013 to February 2015. Patients were stratified into 3 groups: likely transplant eligible, DT-LVAD eligible, and ineligible for both transplant and DT-LVAD. Clinical characteristics were collected, and patients were prospectively followed for death, transplant, and left ventricular assist device implantation., Results: The study enrolled 144 patients with a mean follow-up of 10 ± 6 months. Patients in the ineligible cohort (n = 43) had worse congestion, renal function, and anemia compared with transplant (n = 51) and DT-LVAD (n = 50) eligible patients. Ineligible patients had higher mortality (23.3% vs 8.0% in DT-LVAD group and 5.9% in transplant group, p = 0.02). The differences in mortality were related to lower rates of transplantation (11.8% in transplant group vs 2.0% in DT-LVAD group and 0% in ineligible group, p = 0.02) and left ventricular assist device implantation (15.7% in transplant group vs 2.0% in DT-LVAD group and 0% in ineligible group, p < 0.01)., Conclusions: Ambulatory patients with advanced HF who were deemed ineligible for transplant and DT-LVAD had markers of greater HF severity and a higher rate of mortality compared with patients eligible for transplant or DT-LVAD. The high early event rate in this group emphasizes the need for timely evaluation and decision making regarding lifesaving therapies., (Copyright © 2016 International Society for Heart and Lung Transplantation. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Background: Some cardiac transplant programs may upgrade listed patients to United Network for Organ Sharing (UNOS) 1A-status during the holidays. Whether more transplants actually occur during holidays is unknown., Methods: We assessed rates of single-organ heart transplantation from 2001 to 2010 for recipients age ≥18 yr using the UNOS database. Patients were stratified by transplantation during holiday (±3 d, n = 2375) and non-holiday periods (n = 16 112). Holidays included Easter/Spring break, Memorial Day, July 4th, Labor Day, Thanksgiving, and Christmas/New Years (winter holidays). Secondary analysis assessing transplant rates across seasons was also completed., Results: Donor and recipient characteristics were similar between groups. Compared with non-holidays, July 4th had higher transplant rates (5.69 vs. 5.09 transplants/d, p = 0.03) while the winter holiday had lower transplant rates (4.50 vs. 5.09 transplants/d, p < 0.01). There was a trend toward lower transplant rates for all holidays compared with non-holidays (p = 0.06). Transplant rates were significantly different across seasons with greater rates in spring and summer (p < 0.01)., Conclusion: Heart transplant rates were higher during the July 4th and lower during the winter holidays. Although there was a higher likelihood of transplantation during the spring and summer seasons, upgrading patients to 1A status during most holidays may not improve their chances for transplantation., (© 2014 John Wiley & Sons A/S. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.)