Heart Failure Beat

In this episode of Heart Failure Beat, Dr. Shashank Sinha—Medical Director of the CICU at Inova Fairfax—joins hosts Dr. Priya Umapathi and Dr. Michael Beasley to unpack the 2025 ACC Expert Consensus Statement on Cardiogenic Shock [https://www.jacc.org/doi/10.1016/j.jacc.2025.02.018]. Together, they explore the updated SHARC classification, staging systems, and the S.U.S.P.E.C.T. mnemonic for early recognition. Dr. Sinha shares practical insights on invasive hemodynamics, shock team composition, and new data on mechanical circulatory support. Plus, hear his “Top 10 Takeaways” for managing this complex and dynamic condition. Whether you work in a tertiary center or a community hospital, this episode delivers guidance for real-world care.

In this compelling episode of the HF Beat, join hosts Michael Beasley, MD and Priya Umapathi, MD and an esteemed panel of experts, including Dr. Eileen Hsich, Dr. Anu Lala, and Dr. Ilan Goldenberg, as they delve into the nuanced world of sex differences in heart failure. This conversation spans three key topics: identifying traditional and sex-specific risk factors for heart failure, addressing disparities in diagnosis and treatment, and exploring the implications of these differences on therapeutic responses and device-based interventions. Highlights include discussions on under diagnosis in women due to natriuretic peptide thresholds, CRT’s heightened benefits in women with non-ischemic cardiomyopathy, and the urgent need for inclusive clinical trials. With actionable insights and cutting-edge research, this episode equips heart failure clinicians with essential knowledge to better serve our heart failure patient population. Tune in to explore how advancing sex-specific research can transform heart failure care for all.

In this episode of the HF Beat, our hosts Michael and Priya sit down with Dr. Biykem Bozkurt, a leading expert in heart failure, to discuss the alarming rise of heart failure mortality rates in not just older patients but especially in our younger patients and certain minority groups. Dr. Bozkurt delves into the 2024 HF Stats report [https://onlinejcf.com/article/S1071-9164(24)00232-X/fulltext], highlighting concerning trends such as increasing incidence and prevalence, widening disparities in care, lack of available care, and the continued underutilization of guideline-directed therapies. We explore the root causes of these troubling statistics, including social determinants of health, access to care, and the impact of risk factors like obesity and diabetes. Dr. Bozkurt emphasizes the critical need for early recognition and treatment of risk factors to prevent heart failure progression and improve outcomes for all patients.

On this episode of HF Beat, Michael Felker, MD, FHFSA, current HFSA President, shares HFSA’s vision for the coming year, highlighting initiatives to expand patient and caregiver engagement, bolster research funding through the Heart Failure Research Foundation [https://hfsa.org/research/heart-failure-research-foundation], and inspire the next generation of heart failure specialists.

This episode highlights critical updates in heart failure care with insights from leading experts. First, Marat Fudim, MD, MHS discusses the HFSA statement on device-based therapies [https://hfsa.org/heart-failure-society-america-hfsa-scientific-statement-update-device-based-therapies-heart-failure], including emerging innovations like cardiac contractility modulation and remote monitoring tools. Next, Michelle Weisfelner Bloom, MD and Ana Barac, MD, PhD present the groundbreaking cardio-oncology and heart failure scientific statement [https://hfsa.org/heart-failure-society-america-hfsa-scientific-statement-cardio-oncology-and-heart-failure], emphasizing the integration of cancer therapies and heart care. They explore strategies to manage treatment-related cardiac dysfunction and propose a "permissive toxicity" framework. Finally, Sarah Chuzi, MD, MSc and Haider Warraich, MD detail HFSA's palliative care consensus [https://hfsa.org/heart-failure-society-america-hfsa-scientific-statement-integration-palliative-care-heart-failure], providing actionable guidance for integrating primary and specialty palliative care in heart failure management. This episode equips clinicians with practical strategies and a forward-looking perspective to enhance patient outcomes.