High mortality from heart failure despite mechanical cardiovascular support

Worldwide, there is a proliferation in the use of mechanical active cardiovascular support. The hope is to use these assist devices to improve survival after the most severe form of acute heart failure, cardiogenic shock. A recent clinical study, led by heart specialist Prof. Holger Thiele, has shown that these devices do not reduce mortality after cardiogenic shock within 30 days. The result will almost certainly influence treatment guidelines in the future. The study was recently presented at the annual meeting of the European Society of Cardiology and published simultaneously with an additional meta-analysis in the two most renowned medical journals, The Lancet and the New England Journal of Medicine. Cardiogenic shock is triggered by a pumping failure of the heart and often by a heart attack. The heart then no longer manages to maintain circulation.