Heart Failure Conference Includes Data on Differences Between Men, Women

New research will be presented at Heart Failure 2022 on various fronts, including the differences between men and women with the condition.

Scientific abstracts will also include findings on heart disease and population, novel data about the interconnection between COVID-19 and heart failure, and the potential links between heart failure (HF) prognosis and marital status.

Heart Failure 2022 is the annual congress of the Heart Failure Association of the European Society of Cardiology and will be held in Madrid, Spain, and online from May 21 to May 24, 2022.

“There is increasing evidence that women may respond differently to risk factors such as high blood pressure, diabetes, obesity, and sedentary lifestyle, and may present with different forms of the disease,” Brenda Moura, the conference’s co-chair, said in a statement.

“Even the symptoms may be different,” she said. “It is important to acknowledge these distinctions and to reinforce the need for investigation of heart failure in women.”

Other sessions will highlight the fact that ethnic minorities have also been underrepresented in trials, she said.

“Most registries and trials included a vast majority of white patients, and results were extrapolated for minorities,” Moura said. “Recognizing racial and ethnic differences in cardiovascular risk factors, disease presentation, and treatment response is of the utmost importance to improve outcomes and reduce disparities in these populations.”

Additionally, Antoni Bayes-Genis, congress chair, said in the statement about the presentation discussing the links between COVID-19 and heart failure, “COVID-19 is a vascular disease that affects multiple organs, such as the lungs and the heart. Inflammation of the heart muscle and its protective covering, called the pericardium, are frequent complications that require awareness, proper diagnosis, and management.”

Another session will address issues in managing the condition, Bayes-Genis said.

“Heart failure care has evolved at a very quick pace over the last few years,” he said.

“Now it is managed in multidisciplinary units requiring expertise in drug titration, devices, home monitoring, arrhythmias, co-existing conditions, and valvular disease. A comprehensive approach addressing all aspects of life is mandatory, Bayes-Genis said.”

Additionally, there will be a session addressing holistic management and how it can improve quality of life, focusing on devices, exercise, and self-care, he said.

“Heart failure is a chronic syndrome associated with reduced quality of life. In this session, experts will reveal the most effective tools to reduce hospital admissions and enhance wellbeing,” Bayes-Genis said.

Finally, Moura said that there will be a session addressing acute HF, a life-threatening conduction that requires urgent evaluation and treatment, and what to do if it occurs during or after pregnancy.

Reference

Heart Failure 2022: improving outcomes for all patients with heart failure. EurekAlert. News release. May 9, 2022. Accessed May 11, 2022. https://www.eurekalert.org/news-releases/952078