Heart failure (HF), a rapidly increasing cardiovascular chronic disease, is the most increasing cause of death in Western Countries. According to the European Heart Failure Association, 26 million people experience HF globally and 3.6 million people are diagnosed with HF, every year. Extensive evidence demonstrates that medication adherence, physical activity, healthy nutrition, normal blood pressure and ECG monitoring are among the most effective ways of managing HF patients . Lack of proper management of HF patients increases detrimental effects , causes frequent rehospitalisation and results to loss of independence. Due to the wide scenario of interdisciplinary needs, HF represents an important collaborating arena for experimental and clinical investigators, other health professionals together with bioengineering and computer science experts. Furthermore biochemistry, molecular biology, chemistry and physics are the other disciplines necessary for a better definition of innovative research and cure. Despite the optimization of therapeutic pharmacological treatment and medication adherence, heart transplantation is the final treatment indication. By considering the universal shortage of heart donors, it is recognised that the device-based therapeutic approaches assume an increasingly important role in treating the growing number of patients with advanced heart failure, not only as bridge to transplant, but also as destination therapy, by considering also the ageing population. In fact, the severity of the disease requires mechanical devices to support cardiac circulatory system, pushing research and innovation towards programs of Total Artificial Heart and more sophisticated Ventricular Assist Devices, together with system architectures linked to telemedicine and decision supports for treatment and teaching purposes. The FP7 SensorART project has been an example of a specific plan trying to convert "mechanical" into "intelligent" devices (www.sensorart.eu).
Medicine and engineering facing heart failure: achievements and future challenges
Maria Giovanna Trivella
2015
Abstract
Heart failure (HF), a rapidly increasing cardiovascular chronic disease, is the most increasing cause of death in Western Countries. According to the European Heart Failure Association, 26 million people experience HF globally and 3.6 million people are diagnosed with HF, every year. Extensive evidence demonstrates that medication adherence, physical activity, healthy nutrition, normal blood pressure and ECG monitoring are among the most effective ways of managing HF patients . Lack of proper management of HF patients increases detrimental effects , causes frequent rehospitalisation and results to loss of independence. Due to the wide scenario of interdisciplinary needs, HF represents an important collaborating arena for experimental and clinical investigators, other health professionals together with bioengineering and computer science experts. Furthermore biochemistry, molecular biology, chemistry and physics are the other disciplines necessary for a better definition of innovative research and cure. Despite the optimization of therapeutic pharmacological treatment and medication adherence, heart transplantation is the final treatment indication. By considering the universal shortage of heart donors, it is recognised that the device-based therapeutic approaches assume an increasingly important role in treating the growing number of patients with advanced heart failure, not only as bridge to transplant, but also as destination therapy, by considering also the ageing population. In fact, the severity of the disease requires mechanical devices to support cardiac circulatory system, pushing research and innovation towards programs of Total Artificial Heart and more sophisticated Ventricular Assist Devices, together with system architectures linked to telemedicine and decision supports for treatment and teaching purposes. The FP7 SensorART project has been an example of a specific plan trying to convert "mechanical" into "intelligent" devices (www.sensorart.eu).I documenti in IRIS sono protetti da copyright e tutti i diritti sono riservati, salvo diversa indicazione.
