Importance of Evaluating Volume Status in Heart Failure Patients
It is well known that intravascular fluid volume overload causes a progressive increase in LVEDP* and is the major cause of shortness of breath and frequent hospitalizations in heart failure patients. Because of the major role of fluid volume in heart failure, regular evaluation of the signs and symptoms of elevated cardiac filling pressures and fluid volume is recommended in the current HFSA practice guidelines for heart failure.
Clinicians rely on clinical assessment (history and physical findings) to maintain optimal volume and adjust medications but physical findings are often absent in chronic heart failure even when LVEDP levels are high.
Clinical Study Shows Efficacy of Current Standard for Heart Failure Management May
Be Limited.
The VeriCor® monitor measured LVEDP levels in 115 ambulatory heart failure patients managed by standard clinical assessment [abstract].
- 2 out of 3 (64%) of the 115 ambulatory heart failure patients in the referenced study had abnormally elevated LVEDP levels (>20 mm Hg).
- Physical findings (JVD, rales and pedal edema) were absent in 72%, 80%, and 57% of the patients with abnormally elevated LVEDP levels.
- In the subsequent 12 months there were 11 deaths and 8 (72%) were in patients with elevated LVEDPs. In addition, there were 33 hospitalizations and 31 (94%) were in patients with abnormally LVEDP levels.
The findings suggest that 2 of every 3 ambulatory heart failure patients managed by clinical assessment may be at increased risk for hospitalization and death because of persistently elevated LVEDP levels.
Risk-Free, Non-Invasive VeriCor® Monitor Could Revolutionize Heart Failure Care
The FDA-cleared VeriCor® monitor has been shown to be as accurate as the pulmonary artery catheter used to measure LVEDP levels in heart failure patients in hospital ICUs.
Heart failure management with VeriCor®-guided non-invasive hemodynamic monitoring has the potential to reduce heart failure deaths, hospitalizations and costs while significantly improving the quality of life of heart failure patients.
* LVEDP stands for left ventricular end-diastolic pressure, the pressure of blood entering the heart from the lungs and the most reliable indicator of the presence and severity of HF.
HFSA (Heart Failure Society of America)
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