Implantable Sensor Device Cuts Cardiac Hospitalisations

Image credit: Abbott

An innovative implantable remote monitoring sensor has been shown to radically reduce patient admissions relating to cardiac failure.

The Abbott CardioMEMS HF System works by monitoring pulmonary artery pressure changes – an early warning sign for worsening heart failure – and wirelessly transmitting data to treating clinicians via an implanted sensor.

Recent findings from a trial in the Netherlands found that management of patients with chronic heart failure using the paperclip-sized sensor resulted in a 44 percent drop in related hospitalisations. Patients also reported significant improvements in their general quality of life while using the system.

“Heart failure is a global health problem with a devastating impact on patient lives and high rate of morbidity and mortality,” Dr Philip Adamson, Chief Medical Officer of Abbott’s heart failure division, said in a statement.

“These results demonstrate once again that a proactive, remote-centred approach using pressure monitoring with CardioMEMS leads to better health outcomes and higher patient satisfaction across multiple health indicators than medication alone.”

Having had initial clearance from the United States’ Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in 2014, the CardioMEMS HF System received an expanded indication in February last year.

Read the full press statement via the Abbott website.