Study of CardioMEMS HF System shows benefits in heart failure- St. Jude Medical

St. Jude Medical announced new data from a study demonstrating that monitoring pulmonary artery pressure with the CardioMEMS technology leads to significant improvements in quality of life (as measured by the Kansas City Cardiomyopathy Questionnaire [KCCQ]) and ability to exercise (using the six minute walk [6MW] test standard) in patients with chronic heart failure. The analysis evaluated 66 patients with New York Heart Association (NYHA) Class III heart failure; 34 underwent implant of the CardioMEMS device and 32 patients remained on medical management alone. Quality of life (QoL) was assessed based on the KCCQ that measures QoL items such as physical and social function, symptoms and self-efficacy.

A 6MW test was conducted to evaluate exercise capacity for each patient. The study found management with the CardioMEMS device led to a decrease of nearly seven percent in body weight, a three-fold increase in quality of life scoring and an increase of 38 percent in the distance patients were able to walk within the 6MW test. These data were presented at the American College of Cardiology 65th Annual Scientific Session.