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Guidelines
ScienceDaily · September 6, 2026
According to new clinical guidelines, people with heart failure should be screened early using simple blood and urine tests to check for kidney disease, because these two conditions can make each other worse over time — creating a harmful cycle that speeds up damage to both the heart and kidneys. The guidelines highlight that catching problems sooner, and starting proven treatments early, could meaningfully lower the chances of serious complications for patients. Talking with their doctor about whether this kind of screening is right for them may be a worthwhile conversation.
Ask your doctor: Ask the doctor whether the patient should get blood and urine tests to check for kidney disease, since heart and kidney problems can make each other worse.
What's New
PubMed · September 1, 2026
Researchers found that a structured self-management program — where people with chronic conditions like type 2 diabetes learn skills to manage their health day-to-day — led to lasting improvements in sleep, pain, fatigue, and mood, even six months after the program ended, across many different countries. For someone with type 2 diabetes, this matters because managing a long-term condition involves a lot more than just medication — things like energy levels, sleep, and emotional well-being all affect how well someone can stay on top of their health. This is early research and hasn't yet changed treatment guidelines.
What's New
PubMed · September 1, 2026
Researchers found that when nurses led education programs for people with heart failure — especially programs that combined health information with emotional and mental health support — patients reported better quality of life and felt more confident managing their condition day to day. The programs used a mix of in-person conversations, written materials, phone check-ins, and home visits. This is early research and hasn't yet changed treatment guidelines.
What's New
PubMed · September 1, 2026
Researchers found that people with chronic heart failure who practiced Baduanjin — a gentle, flowing movement exercise from traditional Chinese medicine, similar to tai chi — while being monitored remotely through wearable devices showed improvements in how far they could walk, how well their heart pumped blood, and their overall quality of life. The heart's pumping ability, measured as the percentage of blood the heart pushes out with each beat, appeared stronger in those who did the exercise compared to those who didn't. This is early research and hasn't yet changed treatment guidelines.
What's New
PubMed · September 1, 2026
Researchers found that a diabetes medication like Ozempic or Victoza (called semaglutide) may help people with a type of heart failure called HFpEF — where the heart pumps normally but is too stiff to fill properly — especially when obesity is also involved. Across six studies with over 4,000 patients, those taking semaglutide felt better, had lower levels of a key marker in the blood that signals heart strain, and were less likely to end up in the hospital for heart failure. This is early research and hasn't yet changed treatment guidelines.
Ask your doctor: Ask the doctor whether semaglutide might help the patient's heart failure symptoms and exercise ability, since research shows it may be beneficial for people who have heart failure with preserved ejection fraction and obesity.
What's New
PubMed · September 1, 2026
Researchers found that different types of strength training — such as lighter weights with more repetitions versus heavier weights with fewer repetitions — produced similar effects on heart rate and blood pressure in people with heart disease, including heart failure. Both approaches appeared to be safe, which is encouraging news since many people with heart conditions are often cautious about strength training. This is early research and hasn't yet changed treatment guidelines.
What's New
PubMed · September 1, 2026
Researchers found that adding a medication called acetazolamide to a strong water pill (furosemide) helped people hospitalized with heart failure hold onto more chloride — an important mineral that can drop dangerously low during aggressive fluid removal. However, the combination did not help patients lose more fluid overall, and more side effects were seen in those who took acetazolamide compared to those who did not. This is early research and hasn't yet changed treatment guidelines.
What's New
PubMed · September 1, 2026
Researchers are studying whether a team-based care program — combining specially trained non-doctor health workers, remote health monitoring through digital devices, and better communication between heart specialists and family doctors — can improve daily quality of life for people with heart failure. Heart failure is a condition where the heart struggles to pump blood effectively, often leading to fatigue, breathlessness, and frequent hospital stays. This is early research and hasn't yet changed treatment guidelines.
Guidelines
PubMed · September 1, 2026
The text describes a systematic review — a study that gathered and compared existing guidelines — but does not clearly name a specific medical society or authoritative body issuing the recommendations, so it cannot be presented as a single organization's guidance. The review found that most guidelines for people with COPD (a lung disease that makes breathing difficult) consistently recommended at least 150 minutes of moderate physical activity per week, such as brisk walking or cycling, though detailed, condition-specific advice was often limited.
What's New
PubMed · September 1, 2026
Researchers found that regularly tracking how heart failure patients feel day-to-day — things like how much they can do and how limited they feel — can actually predict their risk of serious outcomes, including death. People who reported feeling worse had significantly higher yearly death rates, while those who felt better tended to stay in that better state for longer. Among patients who felt worst, a medication called sacubitril/valsartan appeared to help some of them feel better and reduced their risk of dying compared to a similar medication. This is early research and hasn't yet changed treatment guidelines.
What's New
PubMed · September 1, 2026
Researchers found that people with a type of heart failure — where the heart muscle is weaker than normal and doesn't pump blood as well as it should — who took a combination of four supplements (creatine, D-ribose, CoQ10, and vitamin E) along with a 12-week high-intensity exercise program showed notably bigger improvements in how far they could walk, how hard their heart had to work, and their overall quality of life, compared to people who took a different two-supplement combination with the same exercise program. This is interesting because finding ways to help the heart pump better and help people feel stronger and more capable in daily life is a major goal in heart failure care. This is early research and hasn't yet changed treatment guidelines.
Ask your doctor: Ask the doctor whether the patient should consider taking Amendcor (which contains creatine, D-ribose, coenzyme Q10, and vitamin E) along with high-intensity exercise training to help improve heart function and exercise ability.
What's New
PubMed · September 1, 2026
A study found that adding palliative care early — meaning care focused on comfort and quality of life — to standard heart failure treatment didn't clearly outperform standard care alone for most measures like anxiety, symptoms, or daily functioning, regardless of the type of heart failure a person had. However, one interesting finding stood out: people with a type of heart failure where the heart still pumps with reasonable force seemed to experience meaningful improvements in spiritual well-being when they received early palliative care, while those getting standard care alone did not. This is early research and hasn't yet changed treatment guidelines.
What's New
PubMed · September 1, 2026
Researchers found that two diabetes medications like Jardiance or Invokana — specifically empagliflozin and dapagliflozin — may lower the risk of sudden cardiac death (when the heart unexpectedly stops beating) by about 18% compared to a placebo, based on data from more than 58,000 people across eight studies. This finding held up across different groups of patients, including those with type 2 diabetes, heart failure, or kidney disease, which makes it particularly interesting since sudden cardiac death is one of the hardest outcomes to prevent. This is early research and hasn't yet changed treatment guidelines.
What's New
PubMed · September 1, 2026
Researchers found that a diabetes medication like Ozempic or Victoza may help people with a type of heart failure called heart failure with preserved ejection fraction — meaning the heart squeezes normally but doesn't relax well enough. Across six studies involving over 4,000 patients, those taking these medications were 27% less likely to be hospitalized for heart failure or die from any cause, with especially promising results for people who also had an irregular heartbeat. This is early research and hasn't yet changed treatment guidelines.
What's New
PubMed · September 1, 2026
Researchers found that a newer type of pacemaker technique called left bundle branch pacing — which delivers electrical signals closer to the heart's natural wiring — worked better than the standard approach (called biventricular pacing) for people with heart failure who need a device to help their heart beat in sync. Across 24 studies involving over 9,000 patients, those who received the newer technique were less likely to be hospitalized for heart failure or to die, and their hearts also showed better pumping function over time. This is early research and hasn't yet changed treatment guidelines.
What's New
JAMA · September 1, 2026
A study found that diagnosing too much fluid buildup in the body — a common and serious problem in heart failure — may be improved by combining several tools, including a physical exam, chest X-ray, a quick bedside ultrasound, and a blood test called BNP that signals heart stress. Researchers highlighted a newer ultrasound technique called VExUS, which looks at blood flow patterns in veins to help doctors catch tricky cases where it's hard to tell how much fluid is building up. Excess fluid can quietly damage organs like the kidneys, so finding better ways to spot it early could matter a great deal for people living with heart failure. This is early research and hasn't yet changed treatment guidelines.
What's New
PubMed · September 1, 2026
Researchers found that adding a diabetes medication like Jardiance or Invokana to standard heart failure treatment appears to be worth the cost in wealthier countries, meaning patients may get meaningful health benefits — like fewer serious heart problems like heart attacks or strokes and hospitalizations — relative to what the treatment costs. When this medication was combined with another drug called a neprilysin inhibitor (a medication that helps the heart work more efficiently), the combination also looked cost-effective in several countries, though fewer studies have examined this. This is early research and hasn't yet changed treatment guidelines.
What's New
PubMed · September 1, 2026
Researchers found that a new combination pill being developed for heart failure — pairing an experimental drug called balcinrenone with a diabetes medication like Jardiance or Invokana (dapagliflozin) — works similarly in the body whether people take it with food or on an empty stomach, which could make it more convenient for patients to use in daily life. They also found that taking balcinrenone alongside certain other medications can raise the amount of it in the bloodstream, though not by a dramatic amount — something doctors may want to keep in mind when managing a patient's full list of medications. This is early research and hasn't yet changed treatment guidelines.
What's New
The Lancet · August 31, 2026
Researchers reviewed 30 years of progress on a treatment called cardiac resynchronization therapy (CRT) — a procedure where a special pacemaker is implanted to help both sides of the heart beat in sync. This matters because some people with heart failure have an electrical problem (called left bundle-branch block) that causes the heart's chambers to beat out of rhythm with each other, making the heart work less efficiently. Researchers found that using two carefully placed electrical leads to coordinate the heartbeat led to dramatic improvements in how well the heart pumps. This is early research and hasn't yet changed treatment guidelines.
What's New
The Lancet · August 30, 2026
Researchers found that people hospitalized with sudden, severe heart failure across 17 African countries were dying at high rates, even though they tended to be younger than heart failure patients typically seen in other parts of the world. Surprisingly, the study found that basic factors like age, the cause of the heart failure, or results from heart imaging tests didn't clearly explain who was most likely to die in the short term — suggesting other factors, such as access to care or follow-up after leaving the hospital, may play a bigger role. This is early research and hasn't yet changed treatment guidelines.
What's New
PubMed · August 29, 2026
A study found that using a drug called landiolol to quickly slow down a racing heart in people hospitalized with heart failure and an irregular heartbeat (called atrial fibrillation) worked faster and more effectively than standard treatment — bringing the heart rate down to a safer level within about 1.5 hours compared to 4 hours with usual care. Patients who received this faster heart-rate control also felt less short of breath and had less fluid buildup in their lungs early on, without experiencing dangerous drops in blood pressure. This is early research and hasn't yet changed treatment guidelines.
What's New
PubMed · August 28, 2026
Researchers found that two key measurements — how severely heart failure limits a person's daily activities, and how well the heart's main pumping chamber is working — are the strongest predictors of sudden cardiac death in people with heart failure. Other factors like age, sex, diabetes, and certain blood test results (such as kidney function and levels of sodium, potassium, and hemoglobin) also helped paint a clearer picture of who might be at higher risk. This matters because better risk prediction could one day help doctors identify which patients need the closest monitoring or most urgent care. This is early research and hasn't yet changed treatment guidelines.
What's New
PubMed · August 25, 2026
A study found that among more than 4,400 people hospitalized for heart failure, those who also had chronic kidney disease — a condition where the kidneys gradually lose their ability to filter waste from the blood — had significantly worse outcomes over the following five years. They were more likely to die sooner, were hospitalized more often, spent more days in the hospital, and racked up nearly twice the annual healthcare costs compared to heart failure patients without kidney disease. This matters because it highlights how much kidney disease can complicate heart failure, yet these patients were actually less likely to receive certain common heart medications — raising questions about gaps in their care. This is early research and hasn't yet changed treatment guidelines.
Guidelines
PubMed · August 25, 2026
According to UK National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) guidelines, TriageHF Plus — a remote monitoring system that works alongside an implanted heart device — is recommended as an option for people living with heart failure. The system alerts their care team to warning signs before a crisis develops, and NICE guidelines note it is expected to save money compared to standard care while also reducing hospital stays. This matters because fewer hospitalizations can mean a better quality of life for people managing heart failure day to day.
What's New
PubMed · August 24, 2026
Researchers found that a blood test called NT-proBNP — which measures a protein released when the heart is under stress — could help doctors spot heart failure earlier in people over 50, especially those with diabetes, unusual tiredness, or breathing difficulties. The study suggested that catching heart failure sooner through routine testing in primary care (regular doctor's offices, not hospitals) could lead to faster treatment and better outcomes for patients. This is early research and hasn't yet changed treatment guidelines.
What's New
PubMed · August 24, 2026
Researchers found that for people with heart failure, having the right level of potassium in the blood — not too low and not too high — was linked to better survival odds. Specifically, very low potassium levels were associated with a nearly 50% higher risk of death compared to people with potassium levels in the middle range, while slightly elevated potassium (what doctors call 'mild high potassium') didn't seem to make outcomes worse. This matters because many heart failure patients take medications that can shift their potassium levels, so understanding the sweet spot could eventually help doctors fine-tune care — though this is early research and hasn't yet changed treatment guidelines.
What's New
NEJM · August 19, 2026
Researchers found a potential new approach for people with heart failure — a condition where the heart can't pump blood as well as it should — involving what's described as 'biologic ventricular assist tissue,' which appears to be a biological material designed to help support the heart's pumping ability. This could matter for people with heart failure because current options for a weakened heart are limited, and a biological support option might one day offer an alternative to mechanical devices or transplant. This is early research and hasn't yet changed treatment guidelines.
What's New
PubMed · August 19, 2026
Researchers found that people with type 2 diabetes who took both a diabetes medication like Jardiance or Invokana AND a diabetes medication like Ozempic or Victoza at the same time had better protection against serious heart problems like heart attacks or strokes, heart failure hospitalizations, and kidney damage than people taking either medication alone. This matters because doctors often prescribe just one of these drug types, and the combination may offer stronger benefits for the heart and kidneys — two areas where people with type 2 diabetes face higher risk. This is early research and hasn't yet changed treatment guidelines.
Ask your doctor: Ask the doctor whether combining an SGLT2 inhibitor like Jardiance with a GLP-1 drug like Ozempic might provide better heart and kidney protection for the patient than taking just one of these medications.
What's New
PubMed · August 19, 2026
Researchers found that a common type of heart medication called beta-blockers — often used in heart failure — may actually reduce how much oxygen the heart and body can use during exercise in people with a specific type of heart failure called heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (where the heart squeezes normally but doesn't relax well enough). This matters because being able to exercise and stay active is closely tied to quality of life and long-term health for people living with heart failure. This is early research and hasn't yet changed treatment guidelines.
Ask your doctor: Ask the doctor whether beta-blockers like metoprolol are actually helping the patient's heart function or whether they might be limiting how much exercise the patient can do.
What's New
PubMed · August 17, 2026
Researchers found that many people with heart failure are also lacking important minerals in their bodies — particularly iron, zinc, selenium, and magnesium — and that these shortfalls may make the condition worse by damaging cells and weakening the heart's ability to function properly. Most strikingly, giving iron through an IV (directly into a vein) appeared to help people with a certain type of heart failure feel better and reduced their chances of ending up back in the hospital. This is early research and hasn't yet changed treatment guidelines.
For informational purposes only. Not medical advice. Always consult a physician before making any health decisions.