Filling the gaps in guideline-directed care.

As American clinicians have tried to reduce heart failure rehospitalizations and improve care for patients with heart failure with reduced ejection fraction (HFrEF), the population of patients who have heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF) has emerged as needing attention. Although HFrEF and HFpEF share some characteristics, treatment approaches are different, and treatment options for HFpEF are more limited. All patients would benefit from guideline-directed medical treatment.

Flow cytometric evaluation of platelet-leukocyte conjugate stability over time: methodological implications of sample handling and processing.

Platelet activation and subsequent aggregation is a vital component of atherothrombosis resulting in acute myocardial infarction. Therefore, quantifying platelet aggregation is a valuable measure for elucidating the pathogenesis of acute coronary syndromes (ACS). Circulating platelet-monocyte conjugates (PMC) as determined by flow cytometry (FCM) are an important measure of in vivo platelet aggregation.

Percutaneous Mitral Valve Technology: What Is on the Horizon?

Mitral valve disease is common, with mitral regurgitation (MR) being the most frequent pathology. The etiology of MR is diverse, but, if left untreated, MR results in left ventricular (LV) volume overload, leading to remodeling, dilation of the LV, pulmonary hypertension, heart failure, and death. Mitral regurgitation is a high-risk diagnosis, yet a minority of symptomatic patients are referred for discussion of surgical treatment options.

The use of soft robotics in cardiovascular therapy.

Robots have been employed in cardiovascular therapy as surgical tools and for automation of hospital systems. Soft robots are a new kind of robot made of soft deformable materials, that are uniquely suited for biomedical applications because they are inherently less likely to injure body tissues and more likely to adapt to biological environments. Awareness of the soft robotic systems under development will help promote clinician involvement in their successful clinical translation.

Predictors and clinical impact of pre-existing and acquired thrombocytopenia following transcatheter aortic valve replacement.

Background: Data are limited regarding transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR)-related thrombocytopenia (TP). We sought to thoroughly characterize the presence, clinical impact, and severity of TP associated with TAVR.

Methods And Results: Data were collected from 90 patients who underwent TAVR using the Edwards SAPIEN valve (59 TF, 29 TA, 2 Tao).

Utility of cardiac troponins in patients with suspected cardiac trauma or after cardiac surgery.

Detection of cardiac injury after blunt chest wall trauma or cardiac surgery is problematic. Previously available biomarkers have been hindered largely by limitations of specifity for myocardial damage. Both cardiac troponin I and T have been evaluated in these patient subgroups.

How to build a magnet. Jewish Hospital built a $45 million heart and lung center and the patients came.

You might never have wondered how to build a magnet--unless that was a new heart and lung center that would be a "virtual magnet for physicians and patients." That's been the experience of Jewish Hospital in Louisville, Ky., and their new 14-story Rudd Heart and Lung Center.