Outcomes of Severely Obese Patients Supported by a Centrifugal-Flow Left Ventricular Assist Device

With advancements in technology leading to improvements in survival as well as quality of life,1,2 left ventricular assist devices (LVADs) are increasingly used to support patients with end-stage heart failure as either a bridge to cardiac transplantation (BTT) or as destination therapy (DT). Concurrent with the epidemic of heart failure,3 is also the problem of obesity which is present in greater than one third of U.S. adults when defined as a body mass index [BMI]> 30 kg/m2. Obesity is a risk factor for the development of heart failure4 and many obese patients will progress to end-stage disease requiring evaluation for cardiac transplantation and LVAD therapy.

Source: Journal of Cardiac Failure - November 4, 2019 Category: Cardiology Authors: Michael S. Kiernan, Samer S. Najjar, Amanda R. Vest, Emma J. Birks, Nir Uriel, Gregory A. Ewald, Katrin Leadley, Chetan B. Patel Source Type: research