Despite making up half of the 64 million people living with heart failure, patients with this common form have no access to heart pump treatments and are left with only medication or palliative care.

New research suggests that a reimagined heart pump could offer hope for patients suffering from heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF), a form of heart failure that has historically been difficult to treat. Unlike the more commonly known heart failure with reduced ejection fraction (HFrEF), HFpEF occurs when the heart muscle becomes stiff, making it harder for the heart to fill with blood between beats, despite maintaining a normal pumping function.

The study, published in the Annals of Biomedical Engineering, shows that a heart pump designed specifically for HFpEF could provide a bridge to transplant to keep patients alive while they wait for a donor heart, or even serve as a long-term solution for those without other options.