Nearly 50% of people who develop heart failure die within 5 years of diagnosis.
Citing a new published study doctors are calling an experimental device a “potential breakthrough” in the treatment of heart failure patients. In a clinical trial, the C-Pulse device was tested in 20 patients and was able to slow or, in some cases, actually reverse the symptoms of heart failure. It could represent a new treatment option for many of the 5 million Americans with heart failure.
The research team, led by Dr. William Abraham of The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center, publish their findings in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology (JACC) Heart Failure.
“We saw remarkable improvements in how these patients felt and their quality of life was substantially improved,” said Dr. William Abraham, the director of the center’s Division of Cardiovascular Medicine and lead author of the study. “Some patients went from very advanced cases of heart failure to having only mild symptoms, or none at all. In a couple of instances, patients were actually able to be removed from the pump,” he said.
In the case of Richard Jacob (pictured above and in the video), who had a massive heart attack and could barely walk down the hall, the C-Pulse helped him survive until he could receive a heart transplant.
(WATCH the video below and READ the full story from Medical News Today)
Story tip from Mal Maru at Facebook.com/HeartAssist