Abbott’s CardioMEMS Sensor Significantly Reduces Hospitalizations: Study

A recent study conducted in Europe discovered that the Abbott CardioMEMS HF System was responsible for a 44% decrease in the number of hospitalizations related to heart failure.

In addition, Abbott disclosed that the researchers discovered an increase in patient-reported quality-of-life ratings beginning as little as three months after receiving the implanted remote monitoring sensor.

How the CardioMEMS Sensor Works

• The paperclip-sized sensor is surgically inserted into the pulmonary artery of the patient. 
• After being implanted, the sensor continuously monitors the level of pressure in the individual’s pulmonary artery.
• It notifies the appropriate parties if their condition indicates that their heart failure is getting worse. 
• The gadget is intended to identify deterioration before there is a change in the physiological indicators, allowing for early, proactive alterations to treatment.

Abbott was successful in obtaining approval from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration in 2014 for a wireless variant of the device, and the company has since kept gathering data on the device’s safety and effectiveness. The most recent piece of evidence originates from a trial that was launched by investigators in the Netherlands. 

According to the findings, patients who were monitored with Abbott’s CardioMEMS scored considerably higher on the Kansas City Cardiomyopathy Questionnaire (KCCQ) aggregate assessment than their counterparts who were in the control group. The patients in the CardioMEMS cohort reported an increase of seven points in their KCCQ Scores, an indicator of the patient’s opinion of their own health.

The fact that the control group’s scores went down indicated a substantial difference in the KCCQ findings, which suggests that the use of CardioMEMS enhanced the overall quality of life of the patients. The initial examination, which was done three months following the implantation, revealed that KCCQ had improved since the beginning of the process. Patients who participated in the CardioMEMS cohort had a lower risk of requiring hospitalization due to heart failure. 

The majority of the earlier research on CardioMEMS’ efficacy came from the U.S. According to J.J. Brugts, the main researcher for the trial, performing the study at 25 centers in the Netherlands required that the gadget had to improve the high-quality standard of care in order for the study to be successful.

“The Dutch health care system is known for its structured approach to heart failure management at outpatient clinics with general access to guideline-directed medical therapies,” Brugts remarked. He added that this strategy increases the bar, which makes the results of the MONITOR-HF study even more important given the fact that patients who were already getting a high standard of care experienced significant enhancements in their quality of life while utilizing the CardioMEMS monitoring device.

More than 64 million individuals throughout the world are afflicted with heart failure, which places a huge burden on healthcare systems as a result of the frequent hospital readmissions that are required. Abbott’s CardioMEMS sensor is a shining example of a remote monitoring technology that might improve the treatment of this chronic illness.