Posted on

Yoga improves prognosis, functional outcome in heart failure

Loading

By Regina Shaffer

Adults with HF on optimized guideline-directed medical therapy had improvements in quality of life measures and functional status after participating in a yoga therapy program for 1 year, researchers reported.

“Yoga is a combination of mind-body techniques, which is a set of physical exercises [asana] with breathing techniques [pranayama], relaxation and meditation that can be effectively used to stimulate physical and mental well-being,” Ajit Singh, PhD, research scientist for the Indian Council for Medical Research at Kasturba Medical College & Hospital, Manipal Academy of Heart Education in Manipal, India, said in a press release. Read the complete article in Healio.

Loading
Posted on

Adverse events after device implant tied to quality of life measures for end-stage HF

Loading

By Regina Schaffer
Recent adverse events soon after receiving a left ventricular assist device, such as major organ dysfunction, have the largest effect on scores measuring health-related quality of life, according to a patient registry analysis.

In an analysis of more than 12,000 patients with end-stage HF who received an LVAD, researchers also found that patient characteristics and device implant strategies had small effects on health-related quality of life. Read more in Healio.

Loading
Posted on

Fixing Heart Failure Workforce Issues: Baby Steps Start This Year

Loading

— Pay, curriculum changes proposed to attract more doctors

This spring, discussions on how to build a workforce that better meets the needs of the heart failure population will begin in earnest.

The alarming number of unfilled fellowship spots for advanced heart failure and transplant cardiology (AHFTC) each year shows that the field is not enticing new trainees, despite the growing clinical need and advances in therapeutics. Read more in MedPage Today.

Loading
Posted on

11 things to know about heart transplants (from a team that has performed 500 of them)

Loading

The Nebraska Medicine heart transplant team is celebrating their 500th heart transplant. And wow, are their hearts full.

“Performing 500 transplants gives a second chance at life for so many people,” says Brian Lowes, MD, PhD. Dr. Lowes specializes in advanced heart failure and transplant cardiology. He credits the exciting milestone to the team’s advanced expertise. “We’re using the next generation of technology here. And our surgeons are going farther and farther to get more organs ready for transplant.” Read the full article from Nebraska Medicine.

Loading
Posted on

HF diagnosis heightens depression, suicide risk in men, women

Loading

Both men and women with HF faced higher risks for depression and death by suicide in the first 3 months after their diagnosis, researchers reported in JACC: Heart Failure.

“The large burden of disease associated with HF may potentially cause psychosocial distress that worsens suffering, quality of life and long-term health outcomes,” Casey Crump, MD, PhD, vice chair for research in the department of family medicine and community health at Mount Sinai, and colleagues wrote.  Read more in Healio.

Loading
Posted on

Bereavement may increase HF mortality risk

Loading

The death of a close family member was associated with increased risk for death among people with HF, with risk highest during the first week after the loss, according to findings from a Swedish register-based study.

“The findings of the study may call for increased attention from family members, friends and involved professionals for bereaved HF patients, particularly in the period shortly after the loss,” Krisztina László, PhD, associate professor of epidemiology at the Karolinska Institutet in Stockholm, told Healio. “Since this is one of the first studies in this field, we believe further studies are needed to better understand the role of stress in the prognosis of HF in order to inform clinical decision-making.” Read more in Healio.

Loading
Posted on

The Low-Sodium Diet for Heart Failure

Loading

Tips to help you eat smart for your heart

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), about 6.2 million adults in this country are living with heart failure. This condition occurs when your heart doesn’t pump enough blood or oxygen to help other parts of your body.

While health conditions like diabetes, high blood pressure, coronary artery disease and obesity can increase your risk for heart failure, smoking, drinking heavily, not exercising and eating a diet heavy in saturated fat, sodium and cholesterol can as well. Read more from the Cleveland Clinic.

Loading
Posted on

Low-Salt Diet Helpful for HF Symptoms, but Not Necessarily for Clinical Events

Loading

— Sodium restriction still holds its ground in SODIUM-HF trial


WASHINGTON — A dietary intervention reduced sodium intake, but did not reduce clinical events, for people with heart failure (HF), according to the SODIUM-HF trial.

Between patients randomized to a low-sodium diet or usual care for 12 months, there was no statistically significant difference in the combined outcome of cardiovascular-related admissions to hospital, cardiovascular-related emergency department visits, and all-cause death in the trial (15% vs 17%, HR 0.89, 95% CI 0.63-1.26), reported Justin Ezekowitz, MBBCh, of the University of Alberta in Edmonton, Canada. Read more in MedPage Today.

Loading