A sensor implanted in one of the heart arteries has been proven to reduce hospital admissions for people with heart failure by half.
The tiny CardioMEMS monitor can detect minute fluctuations in blood pressure that could indicate deteriorating health.
Every morning, patients with a fit lie on a pillow with a transmitter that communicates with the sensor. This is then able to remotely alert doctors to changes in the body before they can cause problems that could seriously affect the patient.
A recent trial of the device involved 348 heart failure patients, who were followed for an average of 18 months. The results, published in the medical journal The Lancet, show that those with the implant were 44 percent less likely to end up in hospital due to their condition compared to those without the sensor.
The CardioMEMS device is implanted in a procedure similar to stent placement
Unlike a heart attack, where the blood supply to the heart is suddenly blocked, heart failure is an incurable condition in which the heart can no longer pump properly because the muscle is weakened. It affects about a million Britons.
One of the most common triggers of heart failure is a heart attack, which damages the muscle, but it can also be the result of problems with heart valves, viral infections, or genetics.
Heart failure is most common in older people and can cause increased pressure in the blood vessels around the lungs, which causes fluid to be pumped into the lungs and leads to a range of symptoms, including debilitating shortness of breath and fatigue because the body is deprived of oxygen.
The number of Britons affected has risen steadily over the past few decades. This is due to the combination of an aging population, more people surviving heart attacks, and an increasing number of people with diabetes and high blood pressure, which in turn increase the risk of heart failure. One in five people dies within a year of diagnosis and only a third survive for more than ten years.
Often, symptoms can suddenly worsen, with heart failure causing about 86,000 hospitalizations each year.
Unlike a heart attack, which occurs when the blood supply to the heart is suddenly blocked, heart failure is an incurable condition in which the heart can no longer pump effectively.
The CardioMEMS device is implanted in a procedure similar to placing a stent – a wire tube that acts like a scaffold to keep damaged arteries open. First, an incision is made in an artery in the groin, and then a catheter containing the implant is passed through the circulatory system until it reaches the pulmonary artery, which supplies the heart with oxygenated blood from the lungs. It is held in place by metal loops on either side of the body. It doesn’t require batteries and it should last a lifetime.
The surgery is performed under local anesthesia and takes about 20 minutes, with patients usually going home the same day.
Around 100 Britons have so far benefited from the CardioMEMS device in trials, and there is hope that it could soon be evaluated by the NHS spending watchdog, the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE).
Leslie Birkenhead, 73, had one fitted three years ago. The grandfather of 11, from Winchester, said: ‘When I was 37 I had a massive heart attack, then I had two more, aged 48 and 65. The last one left me in heart failure. The consultant said it was irreversible and there was nothing more they could do. I thought it was all over.’
He went to see cardiologist Dr Andrew Flett at Southampton University Hospital, where he was fitted with a pacemaker, had surgery to remove scar tissue in his heart and beta-blockers to lower his blood pressure. There were also regular hospitalizations for his symptoms.
After an episode in 2020, Dr Flett recommended having the CardioMEMS device fitted.
Leslie said: ‘I was able to keep up with my heart pressure almost immediately – my heart failure hadn’t gone away, but I coped brilliantly and I haven’t been hospitalized since.’
Leslie’s wife, Anne, said, “It seems to nip problems in the bud before they get out of hand.”
By using the pillow at the same time every morning, Leslie’s data is sent to Southampton General’s cardiology team.
“If my reading gets too high, I’ll take a tablet to bring it down — it’s that simple,” Leslie said. “Without the sensor, I wouldn’t know there were problems until I was unwell. I’m gardening, doing odd jobs, playing with our grandchildren – it’s easy to forget I have heart failure.’
Dr. Flett, one of the first cardiologists in the UK to implant the device, said: ‘For patients like Leslie, with moderate heart failure, the impact is significant. By reducing hospital admissions and improving quality of life, it’s a win-win situation for the NHS and the patient. With this encouraging data, I hope that NICE will conduct a review and ensure that it becomes available to all patients.”