Innovative Therapies Offer Options for Heart Failure Patients

Dr. Shelley Zieroth

Cardiologist, St. Boniface Hospital

Dr. Brian Clarke

Cardiologist, Foothills Medical Centre

Heart failure (HF) is one of the most rapidly rising cardiovascular diseases in Canada, with an estimated 1 million Canadians currently living with it. HF is a serious chronic condition in which the heart is weakened and unable to pump blood effectively to meet the body’s needs. It’s also progressive. “If not treated properly, HF can eventually lead to multiple organ failure,” says Dr. Brian Clarke, a cardiologist at Foothills Medical Centre in Calgary and President of the Canadian Cardiac Transplant Network.

HF can also affect women differently than men. “Although the signs and symptoms of heart failure are the same among men and women, women tend to have more symptoms such as shortness of breath which makes exercise more difficult than in men,” says Dr. Shelley Zieroth, a cardiologist at St. Boniface Hospital in Winnipeg and President of the Canadian Heart Failure Society.

Fortunately, innovations in HF therapies are improving survival rates and quality of life, especially for people living with more advanced stages of HF. The HeartMate 3™ implantable heart pump, for example, helps a patient’s weakened heart to circulate blood through the body. The HeartMate 3™ heart pump is approved for use as a bridge to heart transplant as well as for patients who don’t qualify for a transplant. “We’ve had many patients who’ve been hospitalized for months, and within weeks of putting in a HeartMate 3™ device, they’re at home and able to attend cardiac rehab clinic as needed,” says Dr. Zieroth.

Clinical trial data show that [CardioMEMS™] reduced hospitalization rates by up to 50%.
Dr. Brian Clarke, Cardiologist & President of the Canadian Cardiac Transplant Network.

Another promising new therapy is the CardioMEMS™ HF system, which features a tiny pressure-sensing device that’s implanted directly into a patient’s pulmonary artery. It sends information (such as pulmonary artery pressure and heart rate from inside the body) wirelessly to the physician to help them identify issues before symptoms appear. “Clinical trial data show that it’s reduced hospitalization rates by up to 50%; therefore, there are not only patient benefits but also health care system benefits,” says Dr. Clarke, who uses this technology for his HF patients.

If you or a family member has been diagnosed with HF, it’s important to discuss your treatment options with your physician as soon as possible. The first step is opening the dialogue, and this is especially true for women. “Recent database studies suggest that women do equally well post-heart transplant as their male counterparts, however they likely should be referred for advanced therapies sooner,” says Dr. Zieroth.

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Important Safety Information

Brief Summary: Prior to using these devices, please review the Instructions for Use for a complete listing of indications, contraindications, warnings, precautions, potential adverse events and directions for use.

CardioMEMS™ HF System Indications and Usage: The CardioMEMS HF System is indicated for wirelessly measuring and monitoring pulmonary artery (PA) pressure and heart rate in New York Heart Association (NYHA) Class III heart failure (HF) patients who have been hospitalized for heart failure in the previous year. The hemodynamic data are used by physicians for heart failure management and with the goal of reducing heart failure hospitalizations.

CardioMEMS™ HF System Contraindications: The CardioMEMS HF System is contraindicated for patients with an inability to take dual antiplatelet or anticoagulants for one month post implant.

CardioMEMS™ HF System Potential Adverse Events: Potential adverse events associated with the implantation procedure include, but are not limited to, the following: Infection, Arrhythmias, Bleeding, Hematoma, Thrombus, Myocardial infarction, Transient ischemic attack, Stroke, Death, and Device embolization.

HeartMate 3™ LVAS Indications: The HeartMate 3™ Left Ventricular Assist System is indicated for providing short- and long-term mechanical circulatory support (e.g., as bridge to transplant or myocardial recovery, or destination therapy) in patients with advanced refractory left ventricular heart failure.
HeartMate 3 LVAS Contraindications: The HeartMate 3 Left Ventricular Assist System is contraindicated for patients who cannot tolerate, or who are allergic to, anticoagulation therapy.

HeartMate 3™ LVAS Adverse Events: Adverse events that may be associated with the use of the HeartMate 3 Left Ventricular Assist System are: death, bleeding, cardiac arrhythmia, localized infection, right heart failure, respiratory failure, device malfunctions, driveline infection, renal dysfunction, sepsis, stroke, other neurological event (not stroke-related), hepatic dysfunction, psychiatric episode, venous thromboembolism, hypertension, arterial non-central nervous system (CNS) thromboembolism, pericardial fluid collection, pump pocket or pseudo pocket infection, myocardial infarction, wound dehiscence, hemolysis (not associated with suspected device thrombosis) or device thrombosis.