That’s according to a meta-analysis of three randomized, controlled trials that Abbott presented today at the Technology and Heart Failure Therapeutics (THT) Conference in Boston.
The data comes from an analysis evaluating CardioMEMS HF in heart failure patients with reduced ejection fraction (HFrEF). The goal of the analysis was to give doctors specific insights into how remote monitoring can provide early warnings for worsening heart failure. The analysis found significantly reduced mortality risk (by 25%) at two years for HFrEF patients.
Data came from the Champion, Guide-HF and Laptop-HF trials. Abbott said the research reinforces that remote monitoring technology, like CardioMEMS, can help doctors proactively make changes to treatment plans.
Proactive management enhances treatment before the disease advances, often resulting in repeat hospitalizations. According to Abbott, the mortality risk significantly rises with each heart failure-related hospitalization.
CardioMEMS, a paperclip-sized device, is placed in the pulmonary artery during a minimally invasive procedure. It monitors for pressure changes that indicate worsening heart failure. The device wirelessly transmits daily readings to a patient’s clinical team. Abbott said this empowers the patient and their care team to manage their condition from virtually anywhere.
“The incidence of heart failure is a growing epidemic that affects more than 6.2 million Americans – and nearly half of those hospitalized for heart failure die within a year of their first admission,” said Dr. JoAnn Lindenfeld, investigator for the meta-analysis and professor of medicine at Vanderbilt University Medical Center. “This analysis confirms that remote pressure monitoring is a life-extending option that reduces hospitalizations and should be considered for those with this type of weak heart.”
How the Abbott CardioMEMS system supports remote monitoring
In total, the meta-analysis evaluated the mortality and heart failure hospitalizations of 1,350 HFrEF patients. The three randomized trials subjected more than 650 patients to hemodynamic monitoring. Meanwhile, 684 received the control treatment. The meta-analysis analyzed heart failure hospitalizations over a 12-month follow-up period. It evaluated all-cause mortality across 24 months.
The meta-analysis validated that hemodynamic monitoring can slow the progression of heart failure in HFrEF patients. It does so by significantly decreasing heart failure-related hospitalizations and improving survival.
CardioMEMS first received FDA approval in 2014 for Class III heart failure patients hospitalized for the condition within the previous year. In February 2022, it received an expanded indication that could reach an additional 1.2 million people with heart failure. That approval covered Class II heart failure patients and people with blood test results showing worsening heart failure as a result of elevated natriuretic peptides.
“These new findings are encouraging news for physicians and the millions of people living with a progressive disease for which there is no cure,” said Dr. Philip Adamson, chief medical officer of Abbott’s heart failure business. “Heart failure is a growing health crisis that demands innovative solutions, and now we have a clinically-proven life-extending option for this population.”
