Left Ventricular Assist Devices and the Failing Heart

Hemodynamic support by left ventricular assist devices reduces cardiomyocyte DNA content in the failing human heart.

BACKGROUND Whether adult cardiomyocytes have the capacity to regenerate in response to injury and, if so, to what extent are still issues of intense debate. In human heart failure, cardiomyocytes harbor a polyploid genome. A unique opportunity to study the mechanism of polyploidization is provided through the setting of hemodynamic support by left ventricular assist devices. Hence, the cardiomy...

Left Ventricular Assist Devices.

Heart Failure Hemodynamic Support by Left Ventricular Assist Devices Reduces Cardiomyocyte DNA Content in the Failing Human Heart

Background—Whether adult cardiomyocytes have the capacity to regenerate in response to injury and, if so, to what extent are still issues of intense debate. In human heart failure, cardiomyocytes harbor a polyploid genome. A unique opportunity to study the mechanism of polyploidization is provided through the setting of hemodynamic support by left ventricular assist devices. Hence, the cardiomy...

LVAD: Left ventricular assist devices for end-stage heart failure.

Heart failure affects more than 5 million Americans with approximately 200,000 patients in end-stage disease that has failed traditional treatment. Historically, the only option for treatment was a heart transplant until left ventricular assist devices offered another option.

Is Left Ventricular Assist Device Therapy Underutilized in the Treatment of Heart Failure? Left Ventricular Assist Devices Are Underutilized

Heart failure has become one of the fastest growing cardiovascular diagnoses, with estimates as high as 500 000 new cases per year.1,2 This growth is in part a result of the reductions in death from acute coronary syndromes, increased use of implantable cardioverter defibrillators, and improved survival with most cardiovascular interventions, which have led to this continued increase in the num...