Jennifer L Cook

• MD
• University of Arizona

Background Pulmonary hypertension (PH) frequently complicates the course of patients with left heart disease (PH-LHD) and is associated with worse clinical outcomes. Mortality calculators for PH-LHD are lacking, and it is unclear whether any risk prediction tools originally derived from other forms of PH can accurately predict outcomes in patients...

Moderated presentation at the American College of Cardiology Conference. Abstract published in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology.

Introduction Pulmonary hypertension (PH) secondary to left heart disease, also known as World Health Organization (WHO) Group-2 pulmonary hypertension (WHO-2 PH) is the most common form of PH worldwide. Various risk prediction scores have been derived and validated for other forms of PH, including the REVEAL 2.0 and REVEAL Lite 2 scores. However, w...

The proposed donor heart selection guidelines provide an evidence-based and expert-consensus recommendations for the selection of donor hearts following brain death. These recommendations were compiled by an international panel of experts based on an extensive literature review.

In chronic medical conditions remote patient monitoring (RPM), is beneficial to empower both medical providers and patients. RPM supports medical care and early interventions to potentially promote patient’s disease management and improve outcomes. In heart failure, although RPM holds significant promise, published trials provide evidence regarding...

Continuous‐flow left ventricular assist device (LVAD) placement has become a standard of care in advanced heart failure treatment. Bleeding is the most frequently reported adverse event after LVAD implantation and may be increased by antithrombotic agents used for prevention of pump thrombosis. This retrospective cohort included 85 adult patients i...

Sensitization, defined as the presence of circulating antibodies, presents challenges for heart transplant recipients and physicians. When present, sensitization can limit a transplantation candidate’s access to organs, prolong wait time, and, in some cases, exclude the candidate from heart transplantation altogether. The management of sensitizatio...

Health systems across the United States are adopting intensive care unit telemedicine programs to improve patient outcomes. Research demonstrates the potential for decreased mortality and length of stay for patients of these remotely monitored units. Financial models and studies point to cost-effectiveness and the possibility of cost savings in the...

Purpose of Review Heart failure is a complex and expensive disease that represents an increasing burden to the healthcare system. Regulatory changes that affect payments for inpatient care have influenced the way we practice medicine. Recent Findings Hospitals have struggled to employ strategies to improve publically reported metrics. Resources ar...

Pump thrombosis (PT) is a severe complication of left ventricular assist device (LVAD) support. This study evaluated PT and bleeding following LVAD placement in patients responsive to a standard aspirin dose of 81 mg using platelet inhibition monitoring compared with initial non-responders who were then titrated upward to achieve therapeutic respon...

DCM is an important cause of HF. Characterized by the common phenotype of ventricular dilation and depressed myocardial performance, its pathogenesis varies significantly, ranging from metabolic, endocrine,autoimmune, rheumatologic, infiltrative, genetic, and infectious causes to cardiotoxins. The rapidly expanding field of molecular genetics and d...

Objectives: The aim of this analysis was to assess survival differences between men and women supported with Impella 2.5 (Abiomed Inc., Danvers) in the setting of acute myocardial infarction (AMI) complicated by cardiogenic shock (CS). Background: Data on sex differences in outcomes of CS with mechanical circulatory support are sparse. Methods:...

Background: Ventricular assist device (VAD) recipients are at high risk of depression and anxiety, and poor psychosocial functioning is associated with worse medical outcomes. Purpose: We present a case of a 31-year-old depressed patient who demonstrated passive suicidal behavior through multiple episodes of noncompliance, including temporarily...

Due to the complexities associated with anticoagulation in temporary percutaneous ventricular assist device (pVAD) recipients, a lack of standardization exists in their management. This retrospective analysis evaluates current anticoagulation practices at a single center with the aim of identifying an optimal anticoagulation strategy and protocol....

For the majority of patients with heart failure (HF) the management is non-surgical, but for the most advanced subgroup of patients with heart failure and reduced ejection fraction, mechanical circulatory support (MCS) is becoming a more viable treatment option. Heart transplantation is the 'gold standard' for advanced HF therapy, but is limited by...

The patient was a frail-appearing woman slumped in a wheelchair, surrounded by her 3 children. Her head tilted slightly in greeting, but beyond her rapid and deep respiratory effort, she was too weak to move. She had been discharged 3 days previously from an outside hospital where she was confined for 3 weeks and had arrived at the academic medical...

A 66-year-old man was admitted to the hospital with a 2-day history of fatigue, dizziness on standing, and bright red blood from the rectum that transitioned to black, tarry stools. He reported no abdominal pain, nausea, vomiting, or weight loss. He had a history of several myocardial infarctions and subsequent ischemic cardiomyopathy (ejection fra...

A 67-year-old male presented in cardiogenic shock and multi-system organ failure requiring emergent venous-arterial extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO). He was deemed ineligible for heart transplantation and a left ventricular assist device (LVAD) was thought to be high risk due to persistent right heart failure. To determine if he could tol...

The era of mechanical circulatory support (MCS) began in 1953 with the development of cardiopulmonary bypass to facilitate open heart surgery.1 In 1964, the National Heart Institute (now the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute) funded the Artificial Heart Program and became actively involved in MCS development. This led to requests for Propos...

Left ventricular assist devices (LVADs) are approved for both a bridge to cardiac transplantation as well as for destination therapy. Most patients with LVADs have implantable cardioverter-defibrillators (ICDs) and several interactions between LVADs and ICDs have been reported. In the present case, we describe an interaction of an approved LVAD wit...

Comparison Between Left Atrium and Left Ventricle for LVAD Unloading: A Computer Model Study. Presented at the 60th Annual Scientific Session of the American College of Cardiology, New Orleans, LA, April 2011. Journal of the American College of Cardiology 2011; 55; A132. E1242.

Lipotoxicity is defined as the untoward consequences of the accumulation of excess lipid in non-adipose tissue. Fatty acids are an important substrate for myocyte metabolism, yet mismatch of cellular uptake and utilization results in lipid accumulation that is clearly detrimental. Within the myocyte, lipotoxicity can lead to cellular dysfunction, r...

Twelve heart transplant recipients selected for conversion from cyclosporine to tacrolimus because of adverse effects of cyclosporine therapy underwent echocardiography at baseline and 6 months after conversion. Left ventricular mass decreased by 24% and left ventricular geometry returned toward normal at 6 months after conversion, without signific...