HFSA's 13th Annual Scientific Meeting focuses on causes and treatment of heart failure

The Heart Failure Society of America's (HFSA) 13th Annual Scientific Meeting convened Sunday, September 13, 2009 at the Hynes Convention Center in Boston. This three-day meeting -- a forum for heart failure specialists to present research findings and advances in treatment -- will address emerging trends in research and new developments in the approach to treating patients with this condition.

The scientific program will kick off with an opening plenary session, "Personalized Medicine: The Dawn of a New Era," today at 8:30 a.m. This session will be anchored by Journalist David Duncan, author of The Experimental Man: What one man's body reveals about his future, your health, and our toxic world.

Following the Opening Plenary will be simultaneous sessions with presentations by national and international heart failure experts, scientists, and allied health care professionals. Many will focus on the progressive treatments for heart failure and the increased risk faced by patients.

"This year's conference will present exciting new information," said Dr. Douglas Mann, President, HFSA. "Leaders in the field will discuss causes and treatment of heart failure and the important socio-economic issues surrounding this condition."

Other scientific meeting sessions that address important heart failure issues include:

• Clinical Use of Stem Cells in the Heart: What Have We Learned?
• Cardiovascular Disease: The Hidden Killer in Adult Survivors of Childhood Cancer
• Is the Physical Exam Obsolete?
• New Development in Gene Therapy for Heart Failure

Late Breaking heart failure Clinical Trials to be presented include:

• Improving Evidence-Based Care for Heart Failure in Outpatient Cardiology Practices: Primary Results of IMPROVE HF
• Reduction in the Risk of Heart Failure with Preventive Cardiac Resynchronization Therapy: MADIT-CRT
• Effects of Rolofylline, A Selective Adenosine A1 Antagonist in Patients Hospitalized for ADHF and Renal Impairment: Findings from the PROTECT study