Beyond GDMT: bridging the therapeutic gap in heart failure

Area of Science:

• Cardiology
• Medical Devices

Background:

• Guideline-directed medical therapy is standard for heart failure but doesn't fully resolve symptoms or improve quality of life for all patients.
• A gap exists between current therapies and advanced surgical options like heart transplant (HT) and left ventricular assist device (LVAD).

Purpose of the Study:

• To review novel, FDA-approved heart failure therapies.
• To identify appropriate candidates for these emerging treatments.

Main Methods:

• Review of Food and Drug Administration (FDA)-approved cardiac contractility modulation and baroreceptor activation therapies.
• Analysis of existing literature on patient outcomes and candidacy criteria.

Main Results:

• Cardiac contractility modulation and baroreceptor activation therapies demonstrate potential to improve heart failure symptoms.
• These therapies can enhance quality of life and exertional capacity in select patient populations.
• These novel treatments complement existing heart failure management strategies.

Conclusions:

• Cardiac contractility modulation and baroreceptor activation therapies represent valuable additions to the heart failure treatment paradigm.
• These therapies can benefit select patients who have not responded optimally to guideline-directed medical therapy.
• Facilitating candidate identification is crucial for successful implementation of these novel treatments.