New International Heart Failure Guidelines

The International Society for Heart and Lung Transplantation has unveiled the first ever international heart failure guidelines.

The suggested guidelines, released Thursday, are intended to assist doctors in the handling of heart failure patient management, particularly prior to heart transplantation.

Globally, there are about 12 million new cases of heart failure per year.

Comprehensive guidelines will help bridge the gap where current principles fall short and provide guidance to practicing physicians and cardiologists around the world, the society said.

Over the past decade, advancements in patient care with ventricular assist and other implantable devices, stem cell implants, biomedical developments and improved pharmaceutical management, have had a dramatic impact on care for heart failure patients, according to the society.

Taking these and other advancements into consideration, the new guidelines underscore the optimal process for managing heart failure patients prior to considering transplantation.

The final version of the guidelines, which appear in the September edition of the Journal of Heart and Lung Transplantation, are the result of a two-year deliberative process.