New Study Shows Viability of Heart Pumps for Older Heart-Failure Patients
, MD, medical director of the cardiac transplantation program at Sharp Memorial, and colleagues concluded that LVAD therapy should be considered an "attractive option" for some patients, and that advanced age alone should not determine whether or not a patient receives LVAD support. The research team also noted that "very good results can be achieved in a community hospital setting with a focused effort from a dedicated team."Patients in the study were implanted with Thoratec's HeartMate II LVAD, which received FDA approval for bridge to transplantation therapy in .
"With an increasing population of elderly patients with advanced heart failure who have limited treatment options, the FDA's approval of LVAD therapy make sense for many individuals," said Dr. Adamson. "Older patients in the study were very appreciative of the improved quality of life afforded by LVAD therapy. While younger patients want to live longer, older patients want to live better."
During the research period, 55 patients received the HeartMate II between , as part of either bridge to transplantation or destination therapy trials. Patients were separated into two age groups: 70 years of age or younger (30 patients) and older than 70 years of age (25 patients). Pre-operatively, all patients were classified as having severe heart failure, showing symptoms of cardiac insufficiency at rest (New York Heart Association Class IV). The research team compared outcome measures between the two groups including survival, length of hospital stay, adverse events and quality of life.
The survival rate between the two groups was not statistically different. For patients older than 70, the survival rate was 97 percent at one month, 75 percent at one year and 70 percent at two years. For patients 70 and younger, the rate was 96 percent at one month, 72 percent at one year and 65 percent at two years.
The average length of hospital stay for the older group was 24 days, which was similar to length of stay for the younger group (23 days). The researchers found no differences in the incidence of adverse events between the two groups, and quality of life and functional status improved significantly in both groups.
Left Ventricular Failure - News
SAN DIEGO, CA — Results of a clinical research study at Sharp Memorial Hospital indicate that patients 70 years of age or older have good functional recovery, survival and quality of life at two years when undergoing left ventricular assist device
Patients 70 years of age or older can have good functional recovery, survival and quality of life for at least two years after undergoing left ventricular assist device (LVAD) therapy for heart failure, according to the results of a
Ulrich Broeckel, a professor at the Medical College and associate director of the Children's Research Institute, will use the new grant to watch left ventricular hypertrophy take its toll on heart cells in a lab dish. Moreover, the project will allow
A 72-year-old man with systolic heart failure (left ventricular ejection fraction, 20%) and hypertension was admitted to the hospital with 2 weeks of dyspnea at rest and a 20-lb weight gain. He reported good compliance with his outpatient regimen of
In a previous study of patients with ischemic heart failure, those who had left ventricular dyssynchrony before CABG tended to have dyssynchrony after surgery, showing that CABG alone was not sufficient to resynchronize the left ventricular contraction
Systolic Heart Failure | Malaysia Times
, Which can be heard through a stethoscope and can be felt if you keep your hand on the chest. The heart has two atria and two ventricles, which play a key role in blood circulation. ‘Systole’ occurs when the heart contracts and ‘diastole’ is the relaxation phase of the heart. The ventricles of the heart perform the function of transporting blood from the heart to the rest of the body through the blood vessels. When there is an interference, like plaque or obstruction in the blood vessel, due to which the ventricle fails to pump blood, it can lead to systolic heart failure. This condition is sometimes referred to as left ventricular failure as well. While comparing diastolic vs systolic heart failure or systolic vs diastolic heart failure , the symptoms of both the heart disorders are similar and are caused due to congestion of the heart valves. Let us now discuss about the symptoms, causes and treatment methods of systolic heart failure.
Causes of a Systolic Heart Failure
As mentioned earlier, a systolic heart failure can result when there is a defect or abnormality in the systolic function during the expulsion of blood to the rest of the body. Congestive heart failure is a result of the weakening of the cardiac muscles due to which the heart is unable to suffice the requirements of the body. Given below are some of the causes of left ventricular failure.
Unhealthy lifestyle is one of the reasons why some individuals may suffer from heart attacks . Smoking and drinking may lead to the accumulation of toxins in the blood stream, which can affect the heart and result in the organ failure. Heart attacks may also be caused due to aging. Chronic systolic heart failure is mainly caused due to the presence of congenital heart defects like a faulty valve. The inflammation of the heart muscles, myocarditis, due to an infection, damage to the heart muscles or cardiomyopathy, etc., can be a causative factor for acute systolic heart failure. Abnormality in the heart rate , which can cause heart arrhythmias is also one of the causes of systolic heart failure. Some other causes are hypertension, diabetes, blood clots, side effects and allergic reactions of certain medications, etc.Systolic Heart Failure Symptoms
The symptoms exhibited by this condition are similar to the right sided heart failure symptoms.
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