Could the CRT-D devices be just the thing to combat our nation's heart disease problem? Perhaps, according to Boston Scientific Corp. The devices help during more mild (and much more common) heart attacks.
This Tuesday, Boston Scientific Corp released preliminary findings of their famous Madit-CRT study. The study findings confirmed that cardiac resynchronization defibrillators, or CRT-D devices, actually slow heart failure in milder cases than the drastic cases that defibrillators are ordinarily used in.
Basic defibrillators, the ones we've all seen mounted on the wall in red plastic boxes in the halls of airports and gyms, provide one great shock made to restart a stopped heart during heart failure. The devices used in Boston Scientific Corp's study, or the CRT-D devices, are meant to use smaller charges to make erratic heart beats regular during a mild attack. Each CRT-D has a heavier shock available for a stopped heart as well, similar to a classic defibrillator.
Boston Scientific Corp had a study sample size of more than 1,800 patients, and found a 29% reduction in death or heart failure interventions in patients using the CRT-D devices compared to those using only a regular defibrillator. According to the Wall Street Journal, this research and its potential for increases in sales has caused the company's stock to rise significantly (as can be seen in their article at http://online.wsj.com/article/BT-CO-20090623-708062.html).
The CRT-D devices are small and implantable, and are referred to by some as cardiac resynchronization therapy.
Since roughly 70% of heart failure patients are in the early stages of heart failure, the potential benefits of this new technology are staggering. Hopefully the CRT-D devices make the ripples that Boston Scientific Corp is reporting that they may.
Comment and add to the story without registration, but keep the comments meaningful please. Links are not accepted.
