INTERMACS and MedaMACS: how will they guide future therapy?

Area of Science:

• Cardiology
• Medical Devices
• Heart Failure Research

Background:

• The INTERMACS registry is crucial for advancing device therapy in advanced heart failure (HF).
• It has tracked the evolution of mechanical support from pulsatile to continuous flow devices.
• Standardized definitions for adverse events have been developed through this registry.

Purpose of the Study:

• To summarize the role and impact of the INTERMACS registry in mechanical circulatory support.
• To introduce MedaMACS as a parallel registry for medically-managed advanced HF patients.
• To highlight the combined potential of INTERMACS and MedaMACS for guiding patient-centered decisions.

Main Methods:

• Prospective, nationwide data collection on approved assist devices.
• Analysis of trends in mechanical support technology and patient profiles.
• Integration of data from INTERMACS and the new MedaMACS registry.

Main Results:

• Defined the scope of mechanical support in advanced HF.
• Documented the transition to continuous flow devices.
• Established standardized adverse event definitions.
• Developed new patient profiles for advanced HF.

Conclusions:

• INTERMACS has significantly guided current advanced HF device therapy.
• MedaMACS will provide complementary data on medically-managed patients.
• The combined registries will enhance observational research for mechanical circulatory support decisions.