Myocardial recovery common with LVADs: study

US researchers track 40 patients with nonischaemic cardiomyopathy
Reuters Health Staff writer
young man with left ventricular assist device

Myocardial recovery is common when left ventricular assist devices (LVADs) are combined with aggressive pharmacological management, according to results from an US observational study.

In RESTAGE-HF, a prospective, six-centre, non-randomised study, US researchers investigated whether a uniform protocol of LVAD pump-speed optimisation combined with an aggressive drug regimen and regular testing of underlying myocardial function could lead to an enhanced rate of myocardial recovery.