Centralized Protocol Improves Optimization of Guideline-Concordant Medical Therapy for HFrEF Patients Hospitalized for Any Reason

Doctor on laptop with stethoscope on table, electronic health record concept

A multicenter quality improvement study, IMPLEMENT-HF, shows that a centralized virtual team make suggestions to treating clinicians about caring for hospitalized patients with HFrEF improved the use of guideline-concordant medical therapy.

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Applying Engineering Expertise to Enrich Diagnostics, Therapy Planning, and Decision-making

Virtual surgery through numerical simulation of thoracic endovascular aortic repair implantation

Farhad R. Nezami, PhD, lead investigator in the Division of Cardiac Surgery at Brigham and Women’s Hospital, is a mechanical and aerospace engineer by training. His lab pulls from engineering, computer science, and bioinformatics to uncover better diagnostic tools and predictors of clinical events.

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Case Report: Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy As an Unexpected Mimic of Inducible Laryngeal Obstruction

Close up of older man touching throat, discomfort, inducible laryngeal obstruction concept

Physicians at Brigham and Women’s Hospital recently encountered a patient with exertional dyspnea and inducible laryngeal obstruction at rest who was ultimately diagnosed with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy as the cause of his symptoms.

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Economic Food Insecurity Tied to Greater Risk of Incident CHD and HFrEF

Word cloud

Rani Zierath, Amil Shah, MD, MPH, and colleagues have published a novel finding that economic food insecurity is a risk factor for new-onset coronary heart disease and new-onset heart failure with reduced ejection fraction.

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Sonographic B-lines Facilitate Detection of Pulmonary Congestion After Acute MI

Doctor performs chest ultrasound on man in hospital closeup

Researchers at Brigham and Women’s Hospital are the first to study the long-term trajectory of lung ultrasound findings after acute myocardial infarction (AMI). They conclude that quantification of B-lines could facilitate early detection, quantification, and monitoring of pulmonary congestion in AMI patients.

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Catheter-directed Thrombolysis Has Durable Effects on Imaging Parameters in Patients With Intermediate-High-Risk Pulmonary Embolism

CT scan of pulmonary artery showing acute bilateral pulmonary embolism.

Behnood Bikdeli, MD, MS, at Brigham and Women’s Hospital, and team reported favorable longer-term catheter-directed thrombolysis (CDT) results for pulmonary embolism. In a randomized clinical trial, they observed a more durable effect of CDT plus anticoagulation than with anticoagulation monotherapy on several metrics.

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3D Bioprinting Yields Blood Vessels Mechanically, Functionally Comparable to Native Vessels

Research 3D bioprinter for 3D printing cells onto an petri dish

Researchers at Brigham and Women’s Hospital have developed a stretchable double-network hydrogel bioink system for microfluidic bioprinting of small-diameter vascular conduits. They say the conduits recapitulate the structural and biological functions of native blood vessels.

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Women Substantially More Likely Than Men to Decline Statin Therapy

Female doctor shows elderly female patient something on paper in doctor's office, diagnosis concept

In the first large, population-based cohort study of the issue, researchers at Brigham and Women’s Hospital found 22% of eligible patients declined statin therapy initially and 6% never accepted the recommendation. Results on both measures were significantly higher for women than men.

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Primary Aldosteronism: A Prevalent, Yet Grossly Underrecognized Cause of Hypertension

Heart monitor measuring vital signs, 154 bpm, hypertension concept

The Brigham’s Anand Vaidya, MD, MMSc, and Jenifer Michelle Brown, MD, have led studies showing that primary aldosteronism (PA) is much more prevalent than assumed—and may be a causative mechanism for 15%–24% of primary hypertension cases. Now, they are expanding PA screening among high-risk patient populations.

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ACC 2023: Brigham Heart & Vascular Leaders Present Latest Research

Blue 3D illustration of holographic human heart in virtual reality

Cardiovascular experts from Brigham and Women’s Hospital will present their latest research and clinical advancements at this year’s American College of Cardiology Scientific Session & Expo on March 4 – 6, 2023, held virtually and in-person in New Orleans, LA.

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