Category Archives: Cardiology

ACC plans to focus more on cardiology’s business management … – Cardiovascular Business

Biga said ACC wants to "walk the walk" when is comes to dealing with the non-clinical business impacts of managing a cardiovascular department. The organization also hopes to take on more of the big challenges related to paying for cardiac care, moving beyond its traditional focus on clinical science, outcomes and quality.

"As our physicians leaders and CV team leaders continue to evolve, it is imperative that it is not just a clinical track, but that they also understand that business side of cardiology. Because it does impact out patients and does impact us with our compensation models, so it is really important," Biga explained.

Biga said staffing issues are the primary concern across healthcare right now amid the period of the "great resignation."

"This is really, really important because it does impact the finances. I explain to people that when we can't find our nurses, our advanced practice providers (APPs), techs, our OR teams, across the country we are closing ORs and cath labs because we just cannot get staff. It impacts all of us from a patient access prospective, but also from a compensation and a reimbursement prospective," she explained.

While to drive to leave healthcare jobs was partly fueled by burnout during the pandemic and an amplification of pre-COVID issues, the decreasing amounts seen in reimbursements are also impacting the ability for healthcare systems to retain staff. Clinical workflows and efforts to get paid for the care provided to patients have increasingly become full ofbureaucracy and obstacles, which have increased clinician burnout.

Increasing requirements to obtain prior authorizations are another contributor to both lower amounts of revenue and the increased staff burden to obtain them if physicians and hospitals want to be paid. She said this requires healthcare organizations to hire more staff to track down prior authorizations, which drives up overhead healthcare costs.

This gets more complicated and involves more staff time that is unpaid when payers require a peer-to-peer reviews of why tests or procedures are needed and the physicians have to justify their decisions to insurance companies.

"Sometimes this is also harmful to our patients because because their access to care gets decreased," Biga said. "And this is why the whole healthcare system of the United States is under scrutiny."

The American healthcare system is the most expensive, but fails to meet better outcomes of other nations, she said. She said the cost versus benefit evaluation of American healthcare shows a growing imbalance. While the U.S. spends more money per-capita on healthcare than any other country in the world, outcomes and life expectancy actually started decreasing among Americans prior to the pandemic.This lower-than-expected performance compared to costs was echoed by cardiologist and FDA Commissioner Robert Califf, MD, who presented these same statistics facing the U.S. healthcare system at theTranscatheter Cardiovascular Therapeutics (TCT) and the American Heart Association (AHA) meetings in 2022.

"Why is it that our quality or care and patient outcomes are not matching the dollar amounts that we are spending?" Biga asked. "This is a huge issue, because the fee-for-service basis that we are in uses a risk based model where we take baby steps, but we really need to be taking bigger steps to achieve something."

Biga said part of the problem is the American consumer expectation of immediate access to healthcare for everything. But she said immediate care does not mean quality care, and that is a concept the public needs to understand and accept. She said patients in some countries with socialized medicine might have to wait two months for an imaging test, but overall, the healthcare outcomes in those countries are better than in the United States.

Biga said there is a movement in Washington to pushed the healthcare system to risk-based payment models. She said the health system is already moving in that direction.

As the available funds for Medicare continue to decrease as more patients are added to the system, many patients are moving to Medicare Advantageplans.

"Call them anything you want, but Medicare Advantage are basically a risk-based model. And when you enter into a Medicare Advantage plan on our side in the office, it adds a lot more requirements," Biga said.

These additional requirements include the need for appropriate use documentation, pre-authorization, your network gets more narrow so patients may not be able to go where they want to go. She said in many places this change is subtle, but in other places it is more pronounced.

"In Chicago, our percentage Medicare Advantageto traditional Medicare patients continues to escalate and I think we are going to be seeing more of that," Biga said.

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ACC plans to focus more on cardiology's business management ... - Cardiovascular Business

Panacea Healthcare Solutions Hosting Webinar on Interventional … – Benzinga

Panacea Healthcare Solutions, a leading provider of strategic pricing, price transparency, chargemaster, compliance, and revenue integrity software, education, and consulting services to healthcare providers across the full continuum of care, is hosting a newly developed webinar intended to help healthcare professionals keep up with recent advances in novel treatment options in the subspecialty of interventional cardiology.

ST. PAUL, Minn., March 22, 2023 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ -- Panacea Healthcare Solutions, a leading provider of strategic pricing, price transparency, chargemaster, compliance, and revenue integrity software, education, and consulting services to healthcare providers across the full continuum of care, is hosting a newly developed webinar intended to help healthcare professionals keep up with recent advances in novel treatment options in the subspecialty of interventional cardiology.

"Transcatheter Valvular Procedure Code Updates: New Technologies and the Codes You Should Capture" is scheduled to take place at 1 p.m. EST on Thursday, March 30, with a Continuing Education Unit (CEU) credit available through the American Academy of Professional Coders (AAPC), the Professional Association of Health Care Office Management (PAHCOM), and the Project Management Institute (PMI). Register here.

The Current Procedural Terminology (CPT) transcatheter valvular procedure code set has significantly expanded since the transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) codes were created in 2013, with new procedures for all four cardiac valves added in several areas of the code book. Additionally, many patients are enrolled in clinical trials as this area of medicine rapidly expands, creating the need for a nuanced understanding of coding, billing, and claim requirements beyond just the assignment of the correct CPT code.

"We're pleased to offer this educational session, which will help both physicians and those involved in the mid-revenue cycle process have a clearer understanding of the procedures that can be performed across all cardiac valves," said Becky Jacobsen, Director of Coding and Documentation Services at Panacea. "The material being covered will undoubtedly prove invaluable to the success and growth of any transcatheter structural heart program."

Panacea Senior Healthcare Consultant Jayna Tuominen will be the lead presenter for the 60-minute webinar, during which she will review the current state of the code set for transcatheter valvular heart interventions across all four cardiac valves and discuss how to successfully navigate clinical trial coding, billing, and claim submission for these procedures. This presentation will equip physicians, charge entry personnel, coding professionals, practice administrators, and revenue cycle staff with the information needed to perform accurate and compliant coding and claim submission.

A live Q&A will be held after the primary presentation, providing participants an opportunity to ask questions and have them answered in real time.

"I'm very excited to offer this session, as it's a topic that's both timely and relevant," Tuominen said. "I have no doubts that participants will walk away from it far better prepared to successfully manage the coding and billing of these dynamic and evolving procedures."

By the conclusion of the webinar, participants should find themselves able to:

To learn more about Panacea's tech-enabled services, or other educational sessions, visit panaceainc.com or call 888-926-5933. Register for the webinar here.

About Panacea Healthcare Solutions

Panacea (http://www.panaceainc.com) provides software and tech-enabled services that help healthcare organizations improve their revenue cycle, coding, and compliance with front-line expertise in mid-revenue cycle management. In an era where 95% of provider revenue is driven by accurate coding and defensible yet optimal pricing, clients trust Panacea to deliver unparalleled value in strategic pricing, price transparency, chargemaster, compliance, and revenue cycle solutions.

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Catherine Short, Panacea Healthcare Solutions, LLC, 888-926-5933, contact@panaceainc.com

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Panacea Healthcare Solutions Hosting Webinar on Interventional ... - Benzinga

Cardiology Stem Cells Market Revenue to Hit USD 5.1 Bn by 2031 | Transparency Market Research – Yahoo Finance

Transparency Market Research

The global cardiology stem cells market growth is driven by the increase in adoption of stem cell technology in emerging economies, surge in investment in stem cell research, and rise in number of clinical trials focused on cardiac stem cell therapies.

Wilmington, Delaware, United States, March 16, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- According to Transparency Market Research study, the global cardiology stem cells market stood at US$ 2.6 Bn in 2022, and it is projected to expand at a CAGR of 7.4% from 2023 to 2031.

The rise in research to develop advanced stem cell therapies and cell delivery methods is expected to accelerate the cardiology stem cells market development. Surge in clinical trials in mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) is ascribed to the demand for innovative cell-based therapies to treat ischemic heart disease and heart failure in the last few years.

Rapid increase in number of preclinical and clinical studies on regenerative therapy using stem cells is likely to broaden the global cardiology stem cells market outlook. Several studies in the last few years focus on exploring cardiac regeneration potential of stem cells of different origin such as induced pluripotent stem cell, mesenchymal stem cell, and mesenchymal stem cells.

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Leading players are emphasizing on the development of personalized stem cell therapies and delivery approaches using MSCs. Personalized treatment strategies aim at harnessing stem cell therapy for targeted therapeutic treatments to treat cardiovascular diseases. Effective therapies enhance angiogenesis and improve cardiac function in patients. Recent market trends underscore extensive research in evaluating novel approaches to restore damaged myocardial tissue. New modes of delivery of the stem cell therapy are expected to create new business opportunities for companies in the global cardiology stem cells market.

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Global Cardiology Stem Cells Market - Key Findings

Significant Demand for Adult Stem Cells to Treat Cardiovascular Disease (CVD): Usage of adult stem cells is expected to rise in cardiovascular medicine. Popularity of these type of stem cells is ascribed to several benefits they offer in cardiac regeneration therapy. Extensive research in the last few decades have aimed at harnessing the regenerative potential of adult stem cells. Low risk of rejection and complications are some of the advantages of adult stem cells. The adult stem cell segment accounted for leading market share in 2022.

Rise in Demand for Novel Stem Cell Therapies to Treat Heart Failure: Analysis of research on the cardiology stem cells market indicates that heart failure is a highly lucrative segment. High demand for stem cell therapies to treat heart failure could be ascribed to the need for alternative treatments to heart transplantation. Significant global burden of heart failure, including congestive heart failure, is bolstering the need for regenerative medicine to treat CVDs. Surge in R&D in stem cell therapies for patients suffering from ischemic heart disease is poised to bolster the cardiology stem cells market value. New therapeutic strategies are urgently needed to improve the quality of life of the patient population (acute and chronic ischemic heart disease). Rise in research on myocardial repair and regeneration to treat chronic heart failure is likely to open new opportunities for companies in the cardiology stem cells industry.

Cardiology Stem Cells Market - Key Drivers

High global burden of cardiovascular diseases (CVD) and significant mortality rate of CVD-related complications among populations in several countries are driving the demand for innovative therapeutic strategies. This factor is expected to drive the demand for stem cell technologies in cardiovascular medicine.

Ongoing studies on stem cell therapy have found that various adult stem cells promote cardiac tissue regeneration in myocardial ischemia and critical limb ischemia. For instance, mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) have gathered traction in cell-based therapies to repair damaged heart.

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Global Cardiology Stem Cells Market - Regional Growth Dynamics

North America held major market share in 2021. Growth of the cardiology stem cells market in the region is likely to be propelled by increase in research spending by several prominent research centers and institutes who are focusing on regenerative medicine.

Surge in demand for advanced treatments for cardiac damage and heart failure is expected to bolster market development in Asia Pacific. The market in Asia Pacific accounted for leading market share in 2022. China, South Korea, Japan, and Singapore are witnessing a surge in R&D activities in stem cell therapies to treat CVD. The market in the region is likely to be propelled by rise in adoption of cardiac regeneration therapy. Large number of clinical trials in these countries is expected to offer lucrative opportunities for companies in the cardiology stem cells market.

Cardiology Stem Cells Market - Competition Landscape

The landscape is highly fragmented, with presence of several local and international players holding significant market share. Prominent companies focus on mergers and acquisitions and product portfolio expansion as key competitive strategies in order to consolidate their share in the market.

Key players operating in the cardiology stem cells market are Astellas Pharma Inc., STEMCELL Technologies, BioTimes Inc., TAKARA BIO INC., BrainStorm Cell Therapeutics, BioCardia, Cellular Engineering Technologies (CET), and Lisata Therapeutics.

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Cardiology Stem Cells Market Segmentation

Type of Cell

Application

Heart Failure

Myocardial Infarction

Critical Limb Ischemia

Others

Source

End-user

Regions Covered

North America

Latin America

Europe

Asia Pacific

Middle East & Africa

About Transparency Market Research

Transparency Market Research, a global market research company registered at Wilmington, Delaware, United States, provides custom research and consulting services. The firm scrutinizes factors shaping the dynamics of demand in various markets. The insights and perspectives on the markets evaluate opportunities in various segments. The opportunities in the segments based on source, application, demographics, sales channel, and end-use are analysed, which will determine growth in the markets over the next decade.

Our exclusive blend of quantitative forecasting and trends analysis provides forward-looking insights for thousands of decision-makers, made possible by experienced teams of Analysts, Researchers, and Consultants. The proprietary data sources and various tools & techniques we use always reflect the latest trends and information. With a broad research and analysis capability, Transparency Market Research employs rigorous primary and secondary research techniques in all of its business reports.

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Cardiology Stem Cells Market Revenue to Hit USD 5.1 Bn by 2031 | Transparency Market Research - Yahoo Finance

Northern Light Mercy Hospital expands cardiology services with 2 … – Press Herald

NEW HIRES

Northern Light Mercy Hospital has added two physicians to its cardiology services in Portland: Dr. Aline Iskandar and Dr. Adam Karpman.Iskandar earned her M.D. from the University of Southern Denmark, where she also did postdoctoral training at Odense University Hospital. She later completed a residency in internal medicine at the University of Connecticut Health Center, and a cardiology fellowship at University of Massachusetts Memorial Medical Center. She then joined Maine Medical Center and worked as a cardiologist with MaineHealth for almost seven years. Karpman earned his D.O. from the University of New England College of Osteopathic Medicine in Biddeford, and completed a residency in internal medicine at Newark Beth Israel Medical Center in Newark, New Jersey. He then completed a fellowship in cardiology at Oklahoma State University Center for Health Sciences in Tulsa, Oklahoma. In addition to his clinical practice, he serves as a professor at the UNE medical school.

Kristen McAuley has joined the John T. Gorman Foundation as a senior program associate. In her role, McAuley will develop investment strategies that advance the foundations goal of promoting the well-being of Maine children and their families. McAuley comes to the foundation from the Maine Department of Health and Human Services, where she served as the director of public health planning. She also served as director of prevention for the MaineHealth Center for Tobacco Independence and assistant director in the Division of Disease Prevention at the Maine Center for Disease Control and Prevention. She has a bachelors degree from Eckerd College, and a Master of Public Health degree from the University of Pittsburgh.

Jill Ward has been named a senior policy adviser in the U.S. Department of Justices Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention. In this part-time role, Ward, director and an adjunct professor at the University of Maine School of Laws Center for Youth Policy and Law, will provide policy guidance to the departments juvenile justice office. Prior to her time at Maine Law, she worked on youth justice issues with numerous state and national organizations, including the Maine Childrens Alliance, the Childrens Defense Fund, the Girls Scouts of the USA, the Campaign for Youth Justice and the Youth First Initiative.

PROMOTIONS

At Camden National Bank, Kathleen Bellmore has been promoted to senior vice president, talent acquisition & diversity, equity, and inclusion officer. In her new role, she will continue to lead the banks talent acquisition function while also directing DEI efforts. Bellmore has been assisting with Camden Nationals recruitment efforts for over 10 years, and holds a bachelors degree in business administration from the University of Maine and an MBA in human resources management from Thomas College. She is recognized as a senior certified professional by the Society for Human Resource Management and a professional in human resources by the Human Resource Certification Institute.

Maritime Energy has promoted Charon Curtis to senior vice president. She joined Maritime in 2007 as operations manager for the Maritime Farms convenience stores and as a member of the senior management team. Her new responsibilities include overseeing the fuel, propane, transport, customer service, branch offices and service departments. The Rockland-based company sold its 13 Maritime Farms stores in December and is now focused on its core energy business, serving Knox, Lincoln, Waldo, Hancock and Kennebec counties.

BOARD APPOINTMENTS

Marc Gosselin, executive director for sports tourism and community partnerships for the City of Auburn, has been named to the Maine Sports Commission board of directors. Gosselin, who is also a professor at Central Maine Community College, bring a variety of sports management experience to the role. In addition to his work with the city, he has served as head of corporate partnerships for the NHLs Columbus Blue Jackets. He also was vice president of corporate partnerships for the Maine Red Claws, now the Maine Celtics, in the NBA G League. He will serve a two-year term on the Maine Sports Commission board.

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Northern Light Mercy Hospital expands cardiology services with 2 ... - Press Herald

Cardiologists received $1.1B in industry payments in 6 years – Cardiovascular Business

Cardiologists in the United States received more than $1 billion in speaker fees and other industry payments from 2014 to 2019, according to new findings published in Circulation: Cardiovascular Quality and Outcomes.[1]

Although industry-physician collaborations can drive crucial scientific discoveries, indiscriminate financial relationships may introduce bias and overutilization in patient care, wrote first author Ruina Zhang, MD, with the department of medicine at Weill Cornell Medicine in New York City, and colleagues. In an effort to increase the transparency of industry payments to physicians, the Open Payments Program (OPP) was established and publishes data on industry-physician financial interactions. The effect of OPP on the field of cardiology is not fully understood.

Zhang et al. linked the OPP database with information from the National Plan and Provider Enumeration System database, focusing on all cardiology payments from 2014 to 2019. They stopped at 2019 due to the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic and its potential to heavily skew payment numbers.

Overall, cardiologists received $1.1 billion from 2014 to 2019. The total value of those payments fell from more than $210 million in 2014 to more than $164 million in 2019.

These are some other big takeaways from the groups research:

Diving deeper into the data, the researchers noted that 40.8% ($444.5 million) of cardiology payments were tied to speaker fees. Another 19% ($207.7 million) were from consulting fees.

Speakers fees dropped significantly over the studys six years, decreasing from more than $114 million in 2014 to approximately $54,000 in 2019.

Reduction of payments in this highly visible category may be attributed to an environment of increased transparency and associated heightened public and peer scrutiny, the authors wrote.

Consulting fees, meanwhile, increased from more than $29 million in 2014 to more than $33 million in 2019. The third biggest category, food and beverage-related payments stayed relatively the same over the course of the study, decreasing by less than $900,000 from 2014 to 2019.

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Cardiologists received $1.1B in industry payments in 6 years - Cardiovascular Business

Icosapent ethyl reduces ischemic events in high-risk patients with … – Healio

March 22, 2023

3 min read

Steg PG, et al. Highlighted Original Research: Ischemic Heart Disease and the Year in Review. Presented at: American College of Cardiology Scientific Session; March 4-6, 2023; New Orleans (hybrid meeting).

Disclosures: REDUCE-IT was funded by Amarin. Steg reports receiving consultant fees/honoraria from Amarin, AstraZeneca, Bayer, Bristol Myers Squibb, Boehringer Ingelheim, Idorsia, Novartis, Novo Nordisk, Pfizer, PhaseBio, Regeneron and Sanofi Aventis; receiving research grants from Bayer, Merck, Sanofi Aventis and Servicer and speaking for Amgen.

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NEW ORLEANS In patients with elevated triglycerides and recent ACS, icosapent ethyl reduced risk for first and total ischemic events compared with placebo, according to new data from the REDUCE-IT trial.

As Healio previously reported, in the main results of REDUCE-IT, icosapent ethyl (Vascepa, Amarin), a pharmaceutical-grade omega-3 fatty acid, was superior to placebo for reducing risk for ischemic events in patients with elevated triglycerides at high CV risk despite statin therapy. P. Gabriel Steg, MD, chief of the cardiology department at Hpital Bichat, Paris, and professor of cardiology at the Universit de Paris, presented at the American College of Cardiology Scientific Session a post hoc analysis of REDUCE-IT covering 840 patients from the trial who had ACS, defined as MI or unstable angina, within 12 months before enrollment.

Steg told Healio that the post hoc analysis was undertaken because the main results showed that the icosapent ethyl group had elevated risk for atrial fibrillation or flutter, as has typically been observed with omega-3 fatty acids, and modestly elevated risk for bleeding compared with the placebo group.

Because of that, there were concerns that in patients with recent ACS who are particularly high risk for cardiovascular events, who have a higher risk for atrial fibrillation and who often receive intensive antithrombotic therapy including dual antiplatelet therapy, there might be a greater propensity for bleeding or atrial fibrillation or flutter, and it was uncertain whether benefit would be less, equal to or larger than in the overall population, he said in an interview.

Among the cohort, the median age was 59.5 years, 77% were men, 36.9% had diabetes, 99.9% were on statin therapy and 95.8% were on antiplatelet therapy. The primary endpoint was a composite of CV death, nonfatal MI, nonfatal stroke, coronary revascularization or unstable angina.

Steg and colleagues found that at a median follow-up of 5 years, compared with the placebo group, the icosapent ethyl group had 37% reduced risk for first primary endpoint event (HR = 0.63; 95% CI, 0.48-0.84; P = .002) and 36% reduced risk for total primary endpoint events (RR = 0.64; 95% CI, 0.45-0.9; P = .01).

In patients with recent ACS, the absolute risk reduction of first events with icosapent ethyl at 5 years was 9.3% and the number needed to treat to present one first event was 11, which Steg said was remarkable, whereas in patients with ACS more than 12 months before enrollment, the absolute risk reduction of first events with icosapent ethyl at 5 years was 4.7% and the number needed to treat to present one first event was 21 (P for interaction = .16), according to the researchers.

Among those with recent ACS, the icosapent ethyl group was more often hospitalized for AF or flutter (4.8% vs. 1.7%; P = .01), and there was no difference between the groups in bleeding rates (icosapent ethyl, 6.9%; placebo, 8.1%; P = .6), Steg and colleagues found.

It seems that icosapent ethyl is remarkably beneficial in this subgroup of patients and is safe, so [there is] no reason to deny those patients, withhold therapy or delay starting therapy with icosapent ethyl, Steg told Healio.

In fact, Steg said, We should be particularly careful not to miss these patients early on because of the magnitude of the benefit in that high-risk patient population. This seems to be an effective preventive measure to take in post-ACS patients in those who are eligible: statin-treated adults post-ACS with an LDL between 40 mg/dL and 100 mg/dL and elevated triglycerides between 150 mg/dL and 500 mg/dL. Weve computed that this is approximately one of eight patients. So its not for everybody, but for those who qualify, theres quite a good deal there.

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Supervised exercise training is safe and may improve quality of life for many people with heart failure – News-Medical.Net

For many people who have heart failure, supervised exercise training is safe and may offer substantial improvement in exercise capacity and quality of life, even more than medications, according to a new, joint scientific statement from the American Heart Association and the American College of Cardiology. The statement is published today in both the American Heart Association's flagship journal Circulation and in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology.

Heart failure is a progressive condition in which the heart is unable to pump enough blood to the body either due to the heart muscle stiffening or from it losing pumping strength. Treatments are focused on reducing symptoms, such as shortness of breath and fatigue, and minimizing or delaying the consequences of the condition, which includes decreased quality of life; frequent hospitalizations; loss of functional independence; high health care costs; and increased risk of death.

The statement is a review of the latest evidence-based research to better understand the potential impact of supervised exercise therapy for the more than three million people in the U.S. living with chronic, stable heart failure with preserved ejection fraction or HFpEF. This condition occurs when the heart is stiff and does not relax normally to fill with enough blood to pump to the body, yet the heart muscle is still strong enough to pump well. In comparison, heart failure with reduced ejection fraction occurs when the left ventricle can't pump with the force needed to push enough blood into circulation. In the U.S., heart failure with preserved ejection fraction is one of the most common forms of heart failure, with women disproportionately affected compared to men, according to the scientific statement.

The prevalence of heart failure with preserved ejection fraction continues to increase due to aging of the population and the growing prevalence of risk factors such as obesity and Type 2 diabetes. Improved management of this large population of patients who have HFpEF, many of whom may be undertreated, represents an urgent unmet need."

Vandana Sachdev, M.D., chair of the scientific statement writing committee

Sachdev is a senior research clinician and the director of the Echocardiography Laboratory in the Division of Intramural Research at the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI), a division of the National Institutes of Health, as well as the scientific lead for the new NHLBI heart failure program HeartShare.

In April 2022, recommendations were released by the American Heart Association and the American College of Cardiology for supervised exercise training for people with heart failure, regardless of the type. Sachdev clarified that, currently, Medicare only reimburses cardiac rehabilitation for people with heart failure with reduced ejection fraction (HFrEF).

"Exercising helps improve the heart's pumping ability, decreases blood vessel stiffness and improves the function and energy capacity of skeletal muscle," Sachdev said. "Exercise capacity is an independent, clinically meaningful patient outcome, and research has indicated that guided exercise therapy is actually more effective at improving quality of life for people who have HFpEF than most medications."

Members of the writing committee critically examined research published since 2010 to assess the most current data on the impact of exercise-based therapies for HFpEF.

The studies evaluated various types of exercise, including walking, stationary cycling, high-intensity interval training, strength training and dancing in both facility settings and home-based training. Supervised exercise therapy generally occurred three times per week for each of the studies, and the duration of the programs varied from one month to eight months.

In the studies, researchers measured peak oxygen uptake, which is a way to assess exercise capacity by measuring the total amount of oxygen a person can breathe into the lungs during physical exertion. For people living with HFpEF, their peak oxygen uptake is often about 30% lower than that of a healthy person and considered below the threshold required for functional independence (and performing normal daily living activities such as carrying groceries).

The statement writing committee determined that supervised exercise training may lead to:

The statement acknowledges there were variations in the baseline characteristics of people in the trials reviewed. Some of the studies excluded patients with some co-existing health conditions, and many groups of people in whom heart failure is prevalent -; including older adults, women, persons with low socioeconomic status and people from diverse racial and ethnic groups -; were under-represented in some research. Additionally, many of the studies were smaller, single-center studies, and most were relatively short term, so there isn't enough information to assess long-term adherence, which the committee suggests should be addressed in future research.

"Overall, we did find that in people with chronic, stable heart failure and preserved ejection fraction, supervised exercise training is safe and provides substantial improvements in exercise capacity and quality of life," Sachdev added. "Future work is needed to improve referral of appropriate patients to supervised exercise programs, and better strategies to improve long-term adherence to exercise training is needed. Hybrid programs combining supervised and home-based training may also be beneficial. Further, implementation efforts will need to include coverage by Medicare and other insurers."

This scientific statement was prepared by a volunteer writing group on behalf of the American Heart Association and the American College of Cardiology. It is endorsed by the Heart Failure Society of America; the American Association of Cardiovascular and Pulmonary Rehabilitation; and the American Association of Heart Failure Nurses.

American Heart Association scientific statements promote greater awareness about cardiovascular diseases and stroke issues and help facilitate informed health care decisions. Scientific statements outline what is currently known about a topic and what areas need additional research. While scientific statements inform the development of guidelines, they do not make treatment recommendations. American Heart Association guidelines provide the Association's official clinical practice recommendations.

Source:

Journal reference:

Sachdev, V., et al. (2023). Supervised Exercise Training for Chronic Heart Failure With Preserved Ejection Fraction: A Scientific Statement From the American Heart Association and American College of Cardiology. Circulation. doi.org/10.1161/cir.0000000000001122.

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Supervised exercise training is safe and may improve quality of life for many people with heart failure - News-Medical.Net

UC San Diego Health Opens New Clinic in Bankers Hill – University of California San Diego

UC San Diego Health is expanding care offered to patients with a new, multidisciplinary clinic in Bankers Hill that will provide specialized care for the community in a centralized location.

The clinic, located at 2131 3rd Ave., San Diego, CA 92101, is now open and is currently offering cardiovascular care, with primary care services to be available later this year.

This clinic will positively impact our patients living with cardiovascular disease and is located in an ideal location near downtown San Diego, said Jia Shen, MD, MPH, cardiologist at UC San Diego Health and medical director of the cardiovascular clinic. It gives us the opportunity to expand our clinical services and evaluate more patients in a timely fashion, while also providing world-class, patient-centered care.

Patients will have access to treatment involving general cardiology, electrophysiology (heart rhythm disorders), interventional cardiology, heart failure, adult congenital heart disease (ACHD), as well as onsite echocardiograms and electrocardiograms (EKGs), patch monitors, blood draws and stress testing.

UC San Diego Health, the regions only academic medical center, is expanding access to our nationally ranked cardiovascular care to better serve our region, said Patty Maysent, CEO, UC San Diego Health. The opening of the Bankers Hill clinic brings the latest state-of-the-art care options closer to multiple communities in Central and South San Diego.

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UC San Diego Health Opens New Clinic in Bankers Hill - University of California San Diego