Beyond survival: Recommendations from INTERMACS for assessing function and quality of life with mechanical circulatory support

Beyond survival: Recommendations from INTERMACS for assessing function and quality of life with mechanical circulatory support: Mechanical circulatory support (MCS) therapy has recently undergone more rapid evolution. Initially approved as a bridge to transplantation, MCS was employed primarily for short-term support to allow stabilization of organ function and subsequent transplantation. The advent of smaller continuous-flow pumps, with associated improvements in durability and clinical outcomes, has allowed destination therapy to become a sustainable treatment for advanced heart failure patients ineligible for transplantation. Faced with a horizon of support measured in years rather than months, health-related quality of life (HRQOL) and functional capacity have subsequently become increasingly relevant outcomes. Functional capacity (also referred to as exercise capacity) relates to the ability to perform meaningful physical activity. HRQOL is “the functional effect of an illness and its consequent therapy upon a patient, as perceived by the patient.” Establishing recommendations for assessing HRQOL and functional capacity while on MCS is crucial to more clearly define the benefits of MCS, portray reasonable expectations for patients considering MCS implant, guide development of strategies aimed at enhancing these outcomes, and inform health policy decisions for rational allocation of this costly health resource.

Third Universal Definition of Myocardial Infarction [ESC/ACCF/AHA/WHF Expert Consensus Document]

Third Universal Definition of Myocardial Infarction [ESC/ACCF/AHA/WHF Expert Consensus Document]

Third Universal Definition of Myocardial Infarction

Third Universal Definition of Myocardial Infarction

2012 ACCF/AHA/ACP/AATS/PCNA/SCAI/STS Guideline for the Diagnosis and Management of Patients With Stable Ischemic Heart Disease A Report of the American College of Cardiology Foundation/American Heart Association Task Force on Practice Guidelines, and the American College of Physicians, American Association for Thoracic Surgery, Preventive Cardiovascular Nurses Association, Society for Cardiovascular Angiography and Interventions, and Society of Thoracic Surgeons

2012 ACCF/AHA/ACP/AATS/PCNA/SCAI/STS Guideline for the Diagnosis and Management of Patients With Stable Ischemic Heart Disease A Report of the American College of Cardiology Foundation/American Heart Association Task Force on Practice Guidelines, and the American College of Physicians, American Association for Thoracic Surgery, Preventive Cardiovascular Nurses Association, Society for Cardiovascular Angiography and Interventions, and Society of Thoracic Surgeons

Recommendations for the Use of Mechanical Circulatory Support: Device Strategies and Patient Selection: A Scientific Statement From the American Heart Association [AHA Scientific Statement]

Recommendations for the Use of Mechanical Circulatory Support: Device Strategies and Patient Selection: A Scientific Statement From the American Heart Association [AHA Scientific Statement]

New EASD/ADA Position Paper Shifts Diabetes Treatment Goals

New EASD/ADA Position Paper Shifts Diabetes Treatment Goals: A new position statement for the treatment of type 2 diabetes takes a much more patient-centered approach compared with the 'one number fits all' target for glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c) used up to now.
Medscape Medical News

2012 ACCF/AHA/HRS Focused Update of the 2008 Guidelines for Device-Based Therapy of Cardiac Rhythm Abnormalities: A Report of the American College of Cardiology Foundation/American Heart Association Task Force on Practice Guidelines [ACCF/AHA/HRS Focused Update]

2012 ACCF/AHA/HRS Focused Update of the 2008 Guidelines for Device-Based Therapy of Cardiac Rhythm Abnormalities: A Report of the American College of Cardiology Foundation/American Heart Association Task Force on Practice Guidelines [ACCF/AHA/HRS Focused Update]