Improved quantity and quality of life: a winning combination to treat advanced heart failure.

m C c m r f t i t p ogers et al. (1) describe in this issue of the Journal the argest report of functional capacity and quality of life to ate in patients implanted with a continuous flow left entricular assist device (LVAD). Patients were implanted or 2 indications: bridge to transplant (BTT) (n 281) and estination therapy (DT) (n 374). The authors conclude hat both mortality reduction, improved quality of life QOL), and functional capacity were achieved with a ontinuous flow LVAD. Progressive improvement in surival has been observed over the last decade with the use of continuous flow LVAD (2,3). The continuous flow VAD is smaller, quieter, and more durable (3). Now eported are improvements in QOL measures and funcional capacity that are unparalleled. Table 1 compares unctional capacity and QOL measures in patients with