Heart failure (HF) has long been blamed on weakened heart muscle cells, but new research shows that support cells called fibroblasts may be a key factor. Researchers found that fibroblasts send harmful signals through the MYC–CXCL1–CXCR2 pathway, interfering with heart function. Blocking this pathway in mice improved their cardiac performance, with similar changes observed in human heart tissue. These findings highlight a new potential target for treating severe HF.

As populations age worldwide, heart failure and sarcopenia—the loss of muscle mass and strength—pose growing risks to older adults. Existing diagnostic criteria for sarcopenia are inconsistent and may miss high-risk patients. Researchers from Japan analyzed older patients with heart failure in the FRAGILE-HF study and found that the new Global Leadership Initiative on Sarcopenia (GLIS) model identified impaired physical performance and predicted two-year all-cause mortality more accurately than the widely used AWGS2019 criteria.

New research in Sweden has produced a “blueprint” revealing how the human heart is built during prenatal development. It offers insights that could lead to improved prenatal care and new treatments for heart defects, such as holes between heart chambers or deformities of the heart valves.
 

Frailty is a key predictor of mortality among patients with heart failure. The Clinical Frailty Scale (CFS), a quick bedside assessment, is increasingly used to screen for frailty and guide interventions. Yet, given its subjective nature, it has been unclear how closely CFS reflects objective measures of physical performance and cognitive function. Using nationwide data, researchers found that CFS aligns closely with objective tests and predicts 2-year mortality, supporting its use in everyday care.