Welcome to the Optimise HFpEF Study website

Welcome to the website for the study: Optimising Management of Heart Failure with Preserved Ejection Fraction in Primary Care (Optimise HFpEF).  This was a collaborative programme of work funded by the NIHR School for Primary Care Research (https://www.spcr.nihr.ac.uk/) to improve the management of people with HFpEF.    The study involved investigators from four universities:

  • Primary Care Unit, Department of Public Health and Primary Care, University of Cambridge School of Clinical Medicine (Lead)
  • Nuffield Department of Primary Care Health Sciences, University of Oxford
  • Research Institute, Primary Care and Health Sciences, Keele University
  • Centre for Primary Care, Institute of Population Health, University of Manchester

Our primary aim was to develop a programme of optimised management by improving our understanding of the needs and the experiences of patients with HFpEF, clinical decision-making and management in primary care, and integrating research findings with patient and clinical expertise.

We have now published an evidence synthesis with information and findings from the Optimise HFpEF study. You can access it here Research Briefing: diagnosis and management problems for patients with hidden heart failure – Primary Care Unit (cam.ac.uk) or you can download this document

https://spark.adobe.com/page/VolnmETkYkVS7/

For more information about Optimise-HFpEF, please see the scientific summary and our protocol paper, which is available in BJGP Open:  https://bjgpopen.org/content/3/4/bjgpopen19X101675.long

ESC Heart Failure Guidelines 2022

The European Society of Cardiology has produced a patient version of their guidelines for heart failure. This provides information about diagnosis and treatment of different types of heart failure, including HFpEF, and is a version of the guidelines developed for healthcare providers. This is the link to the guidelines: Guidelines for Patients (escardio.org)

Notice regarding the COVID-19 Pandemic for Optimise HFpEF participants

This has been and continues to be a challenging time for all of us. We hope that our patients, their families and friends have stayed safe and well during this period.

We very much appreciate our study participants who have given generously of their time. We encourage all of our patients to stay as active as possible, eat well and call on community resources and the NHS as needed. Health care is available for you if you become ill for any reason, so don’t hesitate to seek help if needed. If you regularly walk or cycle, please continue as long as you maintain social distance (about 2 metres) from other people. The restrictions imposed nationally are slowly being eased, and we look forward to seeing our participants again in the future.

For the latest information, please check: https://www.gov.uk/coronavirus

The British Heart Foundation provides information for people with heart conditions: https://www.bhf.org.uk/informationsupport/heart-matters-magazine/news/coronavirus-and-your-health

The Pumping Marvellous website has some really useful information for people with HF during the COVID-19 outbreak: https://pumpingmarvellous.org/heart-failure-advice-leaflet-for-patients-during-covid-19/  Patients can also join the Facebook group of Pumping Marvellous, the HF patient charity. This will allow you to connect with others with HF: https://www.facebook.com/groups/helpforhearts/

The European Society of Cardiology website also provides information specifically for patients with heart failure about COVID-19: https://www.heartfailurematters.org/en_GB/

More information in general for people with heart conditions can be found here: https://www.escardio.org/Education/COVID-19-and-Cardiology/what-heart-patients-should-know-about-the-coronavirus-covid-19

News & Updates

Understanding the management of heart failure with preserved ejection fraction: a qualitative multiperspective study

The Optimise HFpEF teams in Cambridge, Keele and Manchester interviewed 50 patients, 9 carers and 73 healthcare providers to determine their perspectives on the diagnosis and management of HFpEF, and what is and isn’t happening in practice.  The teams confirmed that diagnosis and treatment of HFpEF is not part of everyday practice in General Practice, …

Cycling for exercise

If you are cycling or thinking about cycling for your health, £50 vouchers will be available online to repair and make sure your bicycle is ready to go in top condition.  https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-53558629