An Issue Of The Heart

The Crisis: People who are in rebellion are not the only ones with hard hearts. The dictionary defines hard when it applies to matters of the heart as being "cold; insensitive; callous; unfeeling; unyielding." This malady has stricken every Christian in some area of their life. This is what keeps us from hearing the voice of the Lord and being led by Him in our everyday lives. The Cause: The condition of our heart is determined by what we focus our attention on. It doesn't matter what we know, it's what we think on that controls whether our hearts is hard or soft (Proverbs 23:7). Once this is understood, this same law that will sensitize us towards God can be used to harden us towards the devil. The Cure: The Cure for a hardened heart is a total commitment to keep our minds stayed on the Lord. This teaching will give you one of the clearest understandings of the relationship between faith and unbelief that you have ever had.

Heart failure is the only cardiovascular disease that is increasing. The impact on the critical care environment and the health care system, as a whole, is significant from both a cost and burden to the system perspective. There are 6.5 million hospital days a year and nearly $40 billion dollars in yearly health care costs attributed to heart failure in the United States. There are more Medicare monies spent for diagnosing and treating heart failure than any other Diagnosis Related Group. There is a 24% hospital re-admission rate for this diagnosis which leads to financial implications for health care systems. The human cost is also significant. Less than half of Americans diagnosed with heart failure survive greater than 5 years. The ongoing health care needs and cost of this chronic disease takes a significant toll on patients’ finances, time and quality of life. Over $2.9 billion dollars is spent annually on the pharmaceutical management of heart failure in the United States. This diagnosis is the leading cause of hospitalization for patients who are 65 years of age and older. Few health care providers in the critical care environment are not affected by heart failure on a routine basis. Caring for these patients and their families is both a challenging and yet a rewarding experience. This edition will provide critical care nurses with a comprehensive heart failure review which is essential in caring for this challenging population given the dynamic health and critical care environments.

This issue of Cardiology Clinics will cover Adult Congenital Heart Disease. Curated by Dr. Curt J. Daniels, this issue will explore topics in the field that are relevant for practicing clinicians. This issue is one of four selected each year by the series editorial board: Jamil A. Aboulhosn, David M. Shavelle, Terrence D. Welch, and Audrey H. Wu. The volume will include articles on: ACHD Epidemiology and Work Force, Access and Delivery of ACHD Care, Atrial Septal Defect, Bicuspid Aortic Valve and ACHD Aortopathy, Coarctation of the Aorta, Ebstein Anomaly, Tetralogy of Fallot, Single Ventricle and Fontan Physiology, ACHD Transcatheter Therapy, ACHD Electrophysiology ̧ ACHD Cardiothoracic Surgery, Psychosocial Aspects of ACHD, Congenital Heart Disease and Pulmonary Hypertension, ACHD Heart Failure, and Mechanical Support and Transplant.

This issue of Cardiology Clinics, curated by Dr. Melinda Davis and Dr. Kathryn Lindley, will explore topics related to Pregnancy and Heart Disease. This issue is one of four selected each year by the series editorial board: Jamil A. Aboulhosn, David M. Shavelle, Terrence D. Welch, and Audrey H. Wu. Topics in this volume include, but are not limited to, Cardiovascular Contribution to Maternal Mortality, Risk stratification and The Pregnancy Heart Team, Cardiovascular Testing in Pregnant Women, Obstetric Considerations and Delivery Planning, Adult Congenital Heart Disease, Aortopathies and Vascular Disease, Arrhythmias, Hypertensive Disorders of Pregnancy, Ischemic Heart Disease, Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension, Peripartum Cardiomyopathy ̧ Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy, Valvular Heart Disease, Medication Safety during Pregnancy, and Delivering Coordinated Care from Preconception through Postpartum.

In this issue of Heart Failure Clinics, guest editors Drs. Ragavendra R. Baliga and Dipti Itchhaporia bring their considerable expertise to the topic of Digital Health, sometimes referred to as eHealth. Top experts in the field cover key topics in the field such as using AI to better predict/develop biomarkers; telehealth in heart failure; EHR in heart failure; artificial intelligence and mechanical circulatory support; and more. Contains 11 relevant, practice-oriented topics including devices to improve symptoms and reduce morbidity and mortality in heart failure; utilizing artificial intelligence to enhance equity in minority populations; 3-D printing in heart failure; machine learning in cardiac imaging; and more. Provides in-depth clinical reviews on digital health, offering actionable insights for clinical practice. Presents the latest information on this timely, focused topic under the leadership of experienced editors in the field. Authors synthesize and distill the latest research and practice guidelines to create clinically significant, topic-based reviews.

In this issue of Heart Failure Clinics, guest editors Drs. Alberto M. Marra, Pietro Ameri, and Alexander E. Sherman bring their considerable expertise to Challenges in Pulmonary Hypertension. Top experts in the field cover key topics such as gender aspects in pulmonary hypertension; PAH in connective tissue diseases beyond systemic sclerosis; genetic background of high altitude pulmonary edema; oxygen therapy in pulmonary vascular disease; and more. Contains 13 relevant, practice-oriented topics including rare forms of pulmonary hypertension; management of SARS-CoV-2 infection and COVID-19 in patients with pulmonary arterial hypertension; anabolic deficiency in pulmonary arterial hypertension; anticoagulation in pulmonary hypertension; and more. Provides in-depth clinical reviews on challenges in pulmonary hypertension, offering actionable insights for clinical practice. Presents the latest information on this timely, focused topic under the leadership of experienced editors in the field. Authors synthesize and distill the latest research and practice guidelines to create clinically significant, topic-based reviews.

This issue of Heart Failure Clinics examines the pharmacologic approaches to heart failure: optimizing established therapy with a look toward future agents. Topics include the pathophysiologic foundation for the pharmacologic treatment of heart failure, treatment of heart failure with reducted ejection fraction and preserved ejection fraction, treatment of acute heart failure, investigational treatments, and the role of congestive heart failure medications following left ventricular assist device.

Over 5.7 million people in America carry a diagnosis of heart failure, the incidence of which approaches 1 in 100 people over the age of 65. The cost to society is estimated at $29 billion annually and over 1.1 million hospital admissions. For hospitalized heart failure patients, the 30-day readmission rate approaches 25%. As our population ages these numbers are expected to grow. This issue of Cardiology Clinics helps practitioners to manage patients at all ACC/AHA stages of heart failure and addresses key issues that include sudden cardiac death, arrhythmias, acute decompensated heart failure, and heart failure with preserved ejection fraction.