Find Support for Women with Heart Disease
WomenHeart provides support services to aid female heart disease survivors in leading healthier lives. Their programs foster a unique bond where women share their experiences and stories. WomenHeart’s services include both local support networks, managed by trained patient volunteers and operating more than 100 monthly support groups nationwide, and virtual support through HeartSisters Online. They also run the SisterMatch program for one-on-one support and an online patient forum via Inspire.
Participants can find a support network in their community at https://www.womenheart.org/find-support/ or by emailing heartsistersonline@womenheart.org.
Representation of Women in Heart Failure Clinical Trials
A recent review examined the current state of women’s participation in heart failure trials. The review found that even with four decades of growth in HF research, women’s representation in clinical trials doesn’t match their prevalence in the HF patient population. In the US, nearly 50% of adults with HF are women. However, their representation in trials has seen minimal change over 30 years. Factors like older age at the time of enrollment, government-funded trials, and female trial leadership are linked to higher participation of women, but these links warrant further research. The concluding data showed that challenges based on gender and sex persist, necessitating targeted solutions both within trials and at the patient level, with collaborative efforts spanning federal, academic, community, and industry sectors being essential to bridge these disparities.
CardioNerds Rounds: HFpEF Diagnosis and Management
In a recent episode of “CardioNerds Rounds,” Dr. Loie Farina, Advanced Heart Failure and Transplant Fellow at Northwestern University, and Dr. Jane Wilcox, Chief of the Section of Heart Failure Treatment and Recovery at Northwestern University, discussed the nuances of HFpEF diagnosis and management. Two cases were presented: An elderly woman with a history of heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF) and other medical conditions presenting with worsening shortness of breath; and a woman in her 70s with a history of various health conditions presenting with shortness of breath during exercise and leg swelling. Key takeaways of the episode include diuretic therapy is necessary for symptomatic relief in patients with HFpEF and congestion, determining if the patient has HFpEF is critical and, if confirmed, identifying its cause.
Heart Failure Misconceptions
A frequently updated website by the American College of Cardiology looks at, among other things, the signs, symptoms, and most common causes of heart failure (HF). Treatment, including lifestyle changes and medications, are also discussed. Living with heart failure, questions to ask, recent news about HF, and dedicated sections for caregivers and clinicians round out this informative website.
