2026 AHFTC Board Certification Review

2026 AHFTC Board Certification Review - Live

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Cost

$0.00

Credit Offered

CME, NCPD, MOC Available

Program Overview
Learning Objectives
Continuing Education Credit Available
Study Pathway
2026 AHFTC Board Preparation Modules
2026 AHFTC Live Sessions
2026 AHFTC Resources
2026 AHFTC Post Exam, Evaluation & Certificate

The AHFTC Board Certification Review 2026 is designed and delivered by leading experts in advanced heart failure and transplant cardiology. This comprehensive program provides high-yield education aligned with the ABIM Advanced Heart Failure and Transplant Cardiology examination blueprint while addressing the real-world challenges encountered in clinical practice.

This product is ideal for physicians preparing for the board examination, as well as fellows, advanced practice providers, and other clinicians seeking a comprehensive review of advanced heart failure and transplant cardiology.

This Includes:

Recordings of the live presentations from the AHFTC Board Certification Review 2026
Additional pre-recorded presentations covering key AHFTC topics
Updated 2026 AHFTC Reading List
Access to the updated HFSA AHFTC Question Bank

Target Audience
This program is idea for:

Physicians preparing for the ABIM AHFTC Board Certification or MOC exams
Cardiologists, HF specialists, and transplant clinicians seeking high-level clinical updates
Advanced practice providers and multidisciplinary HF team members who want comprehensive, practical education in advanced heart failure and transplant care

Learning Objectives

This course is designed to:
1. Review testable content and the focus of the ABIM Advanced Heart Failure and Transplant Cardiology Certification Examination.
2. Identify gaps in knowledge about advanced heart failure and transplant cardiology.
3. Explain how to best focus study efforts on filling identified knowledge gaps.
4. Provide practice for the certification examination with ABIM-style multiple-choice test questions.

For Clinical Practice:

Describe the epidemiology of heart failure, including environmental factors, and implement strategies for the prevention of heart failure.
Discuss the pathophysiology of heart failure, including normal physiology and compensatory and maladaptive mechanisms.
Assess and treat patients with acute or advanced heart failure, using non-invasive and invasive tests and biomarkers.
Apply guideline-based therapy for patients with chronic heart failure, including pharmacologic agents; non-pharmacologic options, such as diet and exercise; and implantable devices.
Incorporate appropriate care strategies for patients undergoing chemotherapy or with pulmonary hypertension, heart failure with preserved ejection fraction, valvular heart disease, pregnancy-associated disease, and cardiorenal syndrome.
Explain the genetic basis of cardiomyopathies, including hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, and recognize when to pursue genetic testing as part of the evaluation of patients with suspected inherited heart failure syndromes.
Manage comorbidities in patients with chronic heart failure, including sleep-disordered breathing, anemia, and diabetes.
Implement strategies for effective disease management of patients with advanced heart failure, including referral for mechanical circulatory support, heart transplant, or palliative care.
Manage immunosuppressive therapies and common complications of heart transplant, including rejection, allograft vasculopathy, and immunosuppression-associated conditions.
Utilize mechanical support devices, both temporary and durable.
Manage common complications of mechanical circulatory support.

The Heart Failure Society of America is jointly accredited to provide continuing education for the healthcare team. This activity will offer CME, NCPD, and MOC credit opportunities. Final credit details will be available upon approval.

📚 Preparation Modules → 🎓 Live Sessions → 📝 Resources → ✅ Complete the Program: Exam, Evaluation & Certificate.

Your AHFTC Board Certification Review Learning Pathway

The AHFTC Board Certification Review has been designed as a progressive learning experience to help you prepare for the Heart Failure Certification Examination. Follow the recommended pathway below to build your knowledge, reinforce key concepts, and successfully complete the program.

📚 Preparation Modules
Begin with the 16 self-paced preparation modules to establish a strong foundation in the core content domains covered on the board examination. These concise presentations review fundamental concepts and prepare you for the live faculty sessions.

🎓 Live Sessions
Participate in the live Board Certification Review Course, where expert faculty provide comprehensive reviews of high-yield topics, discuss current guideline-directed management, present board-style cases, and share practical examination strategies.

📝 Resources
Continue your preparation by accessing the course resources, including presentation slides, recorded sessions (when available), recommended references, and additional study materials. These resources are designed to reinforce your learning and support ongoing review as you prepare for the examination.

✅ Complete the Program: Exam, Evaluation & Certificate
To receive credit for the course, complete the post-examination and course evaluation. Upon successful completion, you will be able to download your certificate and transcript documenting your participation and earned continuing education credits.

Prepare for the 2026 AHFTC Board Certification Review with a comprehensive set of preparation resources designed to reinforce your knowledge and identify areas for focused study. Begin with the Pre-Exam, a self-assessment that helps gauge your current understanding of key heart failure topics before starting the course.

Then progress through 16 expert-led review modules, each covering a core domain of the AHFTC Board Certification blueprint. These on-demand presentations provide evidence-based updates, board-focused content, and practical clinical insights to help strengthen your knowledge and build confidence before the live review course and certification examination.

As we add more to the preparation modules, we will notify you.

Preparation Module	Course Description
Cardio-Oncology for the HF Boards	Review the cardiovascular complications associated with cancer therapies, including chemotherapy- and radiation-induced cardiotoxicity. This session focuses on risk assessment, surveillance strategies, prevention, and management of heart failure in patients with cancer, highlighting key concepts frequently tested on the AHFTC Board Certification Examination.
Clinico-Pathologic Correlates in Heart Failure / Images for the Heart Failure Boards	Strengthen your diagnostic skills through a review of pathology, imaging, electrocardiograms, hemodynamic tracings, and clinical case correlations. Learn to recognize classic board-style images and integrate clinical findings to arrive at the correct diagnosis.
Diabetes Mellitus (DM), Obesity, and CKM Syndrome	Explore the complex relationship between diabetes, obesity, chronic kidney disease, and cardiovascular disease. Review the pathophysiology of Cardiovascular-Kidney-Metabolic (CKM) Syndrome, current guideline-directed therapies, and multidisciplinary management strategies relevant to contemporary heart failure care.
Diagnosis and Clinical Assessment	Review the essential components of heart failure diagnosis, including history, physical examination, laboratory testing, imaging, biomarkers, and functional assessment. Emphasis is placed on developing a systematic approach to evaluating patients across the spectrum of heart failure.
Healthcare Disparities in Heart Failure	Examine the social, economic, racial, ethnic, and geographic factors that contribute to disparities in heart failure prevention, diagnosis, treatment, and outcomes. Learn strategies to improve health equity and deliver culturally responsive, patient-centered care.
Heart Failure Epidemiology and Risk Factors	Review the epidemiology of heart failure, including disease prevalence, incidence, morbidity, mortality, and healthcare burden. Discuss modifiable and non-modifiable risk factors, prevention strategies, and population trends that influence disease development and progression.
Hemodynamics in Heart Failure (Virtual)	Develop a practical understanding of cardiovascular hemodynamics through interpretation of pressure tracings, cardiac output measurements, and invasive monitoring data. Learn how hemodynamic principles guide diagnosis, treatment decisions, and advanced heart failure management.
Issues in Chronic Heart Failure Disease Management (Biomarkers, Remote Monitoring, Lifestyle Interventions)	Review comprehensive outpatient management strategies for chronic heart failure, including the clinical application of biomarkers, remote patient monitoring technologies, exercise and dietary interventions, patient education, and strategies to reduce hospitalizations while improving quality of life.
Management of Comorbidities in Heart Failure – Sleep Disorders	Examine the impact of sleep disorders, including obstructive and central sleep apnea, on heart failure outcomes. Review diagnostic approaches, evidence-based treatment options, and the role of sleep management in comprehensive heart failure care.
Optimal Medical Therapy for HFrEF (Virtual)	Review guideline-directed medical therapy for heart failure with reduced ejection fraction (HFrEF), including the foundational medication classes, treatment sequencing, dose optimization, and management of common adverse effects. This session reinforces evidence-based pharmacologic management essential for board preparation.
Pathophysiology 1: Cellular and Energetic Considerations	Explore the cellular mechanisms underlying heart failure, including myocardial metabolism, mitochondrial dysfunction, calcium handling, oxidative stress, inflammation, and myocardial remodeling. Gain a deeper understanding of disease mechanisms that form the foundation for current therapies.
Pathophysiology 2: Hemodynamic, Structural, and Neurohormonal Considerations	Build upon the cellular basis of heart failure by reviewing ventricular remodeling, pressure-volume relationships, neurohormonal activation, ventricular dysfunction, and compensatory mechanisms that contribute to disease progression and therapeutic targets.
Pulmonary Hypertension – Classification and Initial Evaluation	Review the classification of pulmonary hypertension, diagnostic criteria, and recommended evaluation strategies. Learn to differentiate pulmonary hypertension subtypes and recognize the relationship between pulmonary hypertension and heart failure.
Pulmonary Hypertension – Treatment	Examine evidence-based treatment approaches for pulmonary hypertension, including pharmacologic therapies, patient selection, referral considerations, and management strategies for pulmonary hypertension associated with left-sided heart disease and other etiologies.
RV Failure and Tricuspid Regurgitation (TR) Management	Review the causes, pathophysiology, diagnosis, and management of right ventricular failure and tricuspid regurgitation. Discuss medical therapy, hemodynamic optimization, imaging assessment, and evolving transcatheter and surgical treatment options.
Statistics for the HF Board	Refresh fundamental biostatistics and clinical research concepts commonly encountered on the AHFTC Board Certification Examination. Topics include study design, hypothesis testing, confidence intervals, sensitivity, specificity, predictive values, relative risk, hazard ratios, and interpretation of clinical trial results.

The live sessions will be uploaded and shared with attendees as we receive the recordings!

Hemodynamics in HF Live

Review the fundamental principles of cardiovascular hemodynamics and their application in the diagnosis and management of heart failure, including invasive and noninvasive assessment.

Optimal Medical Therapy for HFrEF Live

Explore guideline-directed medical therapy for HFrEF, including medication selection, titration strategies, and evidence supporting improved patient outcomes.

Cardio Renal Failure Interactions in Heart Failure

Examine the complex relationship between heart failure and kidney disease, including pathophysiology, diagnosis, and treatment considerations.

Assessment of Functional Capacity Including Cardiopulmonary Exercise Testing

Learn how to assess functional capacity using exercise testing and CPET to evaluate prognosis, guide therapy, and determine candidacy for advanced heart failure therapies.

HFpEF: Epidemiology, Risk Factors, Diagnosis, Management (For the Boards)

Review the epidemiology, diagnostic criteria, clinical presentation, and evidence-based management strategies for heart failure with preserved ejection fraction.

Management of Comorbidities in Heart Failure: Iron Deficiency/Anemia

Discuss the recognition and treatment of iron deficiency and anemia in heart failure patients and their impact on symptoms, functional status, and outcomes.

Specific Etiologies of HF 1: HCM

Review the diagnosis, clinical manifestations, and management of hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, including current therapeutic approaches.

Specific Etiologies of HF 2: Other Inherited HF Syndromes

Explore inherited cardiomyopathies and genetic heart failure syndromes, including evaluation, genetic testing, and family screening.

Specific Etiologies of HF 3: Infiltrative Disorders and Restrictive Cardiomyopathy

Recognize infiltrative and restrictive cardiomyopathies, including amyloidosis and sarcoidosis, with emphasis on diagnosis and disease-specific treatment.

Specific Etiologies of HF 4: Myocarditis and Inflammatory Cardiomyopathies

Review the causes, diagnosis, and management of myocarditis and inflammatory cardiomyopathies, including emerging therapies.

Management of the Hospitalized HF Patient

Examine evidence-based approaches to the evaluation, stabilization, and treatment of patients hospitalized with acute decompensated heart failure.

Management of Left-Sided Valvular Heart Disease in Heart Failure

Understand the interaction between valvular heart disease and heart failure, including indications for surgical and transcatheter interventions.

Management of Common Arrhythmias 1 & 2

Review the diagnosis and treatment of atrial and ventricular arrhythmias commonly encountered in heart failure patients, including pharmacologic and device-based therapies.

Adult Congenital Heart Disease for the HF Specialist

Discuss common congenital heart diseases encountered in adulthood and their unique heart failure management considerations.

Pregnancy in HF

Review the evaluation and management of heart failure during pregnancy, including maternal and fetal risk assessment and treatment strategies.

Immunology: The Basics, PRA, Sensitization, Crossmatch

Understand the immunologic principles of heart transplantation, including sensitization, panel reactive antibodies, and donor-recipient compatibility.

Rejection: Cellular and Antibody Mediated

Learn the mechanisms, diagnosis, surveillance, and treatment of both cellular and antibody-mediated rejection following heart transplantation.

Heart Transplant: Clinical Outcomes and Complications

Review patient selection, expected outcomes, and common short- and long-term complications following heart transplantation.

Managing Immunosuppression and Drugs

Explore immunosuppressive medications used after heart transplantation, including mechanisms of action, monitoring, adverse effects, and drug interactions.

Advanced Heart Failure: Defining the Phenotype and Patient Selection for Advanced Therapies

Identify patients with advanced heart failure and review criteria for referral and selection for advanced therapies, including transplantation and mechanical circulatory support.

Cardiogenic Shock Management

Review the recognition, classification, hemodynamic assessment, and multidisciplinary management of cardiogenic shock.

Device Therapy in Heart Failure I – Sudden Death Prevention

Examine indications for implantable cardioverter-defibrillators (ICDs) and strategies for preventing sudden cardiac death in heart failure patients.

Device Therapy in Heart Failure II – CRT

Review patient selection, clinical benefits, and management considerations for cardiac resynchronization therapy (CRT).

MCS 1: Durable MCS Devices and Outcomes

Explore durable mechanical circulatory support devices, including patient selection, device management, and long-term outcomes.

MCS 2: Temporary Support Devices and ECMO for the Boards

Review temporary mechanical circulatory support devices and extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO), emphasizing board-relevant indications and management principles.

MCS 3: Management of Complications of MCS

Discuss the recognition, prevention, and management of complications associated with mechanical circulatory support, including infection, thrombosis, bleeding, and device malfunction.

Practice with board-style examination questions
Test your knowledge with board-style practice questions. Reinforce your understanding of key concepts through exam-style multiple-choice questions developed by leading heart failure experts and aligned with the official ABIM Advanced Heart Failure and Transplant Cardiology (AHFTC) examination blueprint. Each question includes detailed explanations to help identify knowledge gaps, strengthen clinical reasoning, and build confidence for exam day.

You are allowed two resets of the exam, before you can access the rationale and the correct response

Reading List
Study the essential literature that supports board success. The curated Reading List features landmark clinical trials, current practice guidelines, scientific statements, and foundational articles selected by the course faculty. Use these resources to deepen your understanding of advanced heart failure and transplant cardiology while reinforcing the topics covered throughout the Board Review course.

Post Examination

Demonstrate your knowledge and complete the final assessment. Successfully pass the post-examination to earn your continuing education credit. You are allowed two exam resets if needed. Upon completion, you can review the correct answers and detailed rationales to reinforce your understanding of key concepts.

Evaluation & Certificate

Share your feedback and claim your credit.
Complete the course evaluation to help us improve future educational programs. Once the evaluation is submitted, you can generate your certificate and transcript by returning to your Catalog and selecting Transcript from the left navigation menu.

For learners claiming ABIM Maintenance of Certification (MOC) credit: Eligible MOC points will be automatically reported to ABIM after all program requirements have been successfully completed.