Systemic blood pressure trends and antihypertensive utilization following continuous-flow left ventricular assist device implantation: an analysis of the interagency registry for mechanically assisted circulatory support

Continuous-flow left ventricular assist devices (CF-LVADs) have emerged as a standard treatment option for patients with refractory, inotrope-dependent heart failure, with 1- and 2-year actuarial survival rates of 80% and 70%, respectively, for the current generation of Food and Drug Administration (FDA)-approved devices (1). Since the output from CF pumps is afterload dependent (2,3), systemic blood pressure (SBP) is believed to be inextricably linked to the performance of these LVADs and hence, to the clinical outcomes of the patients in which they are implanted (3). It has therefore been postulated that systemic hypertension can contribute to the risk of aortic insufficiency, device thrombosis, stroke, and even death in patients with CF devices (3-6)