St. Jude Medical released new data from a trial that showed patients using its CardioMEMS HF system had a 57% reduction in mortality and 43% fewer hospitalizations related to heart failure compared to patients treated only by guideline directed medical therapy.
The St. Paul, MN-based devicemaker said the data from its Champion trial–which was presented today at the American College of Cardiology’s annual scientific sessions–indicated strong improvement for patients treated with optimal doses of guideline directed medical therapy (GDMT) and the CardioMEMS HF system when compared to current best practices.
The study involved patients with heart failure and reduced ejection fraction–when the heart muscle doesn’t contract normally and less oxygen-saturated blood flows to the body–over an average 17-month period. One group was treated with optimal GDMT, while the other with pulmonary artery pressure monitoring and CardioMEMS.
“The findings from this analysis show us that use of the CardioMEMS HF system in addition to guideline directed medical therapy can significantly reduce hospital admissions for these heart failure patients and for the first time, we also see a significant improvement in survival,” William Abraham, chief of cardiovascular medicine at The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center, said in a statement.
The CardioMEMS HF system is a dime-sized sensor implanted in the heart that patients can use to remotely monitor pressure in the pulmonary artery. The information is then sent to a website that is checked by their doctor, who can use the data to adjust medication and refine medical care. St. Jude purchased CardioMEMS for $375 million last year.
Remote monitoring has become an important focus in the medical device arena. According to Market Research Group, sales of remote-monitoring devices are expected to surpass $32 billion this year, and will likely grow at a compounded annual growth rate of 9.2% until 2019.
  • Share