Advanced Heart Device Could Help More People

[Star Tribune & Pioneer Press, September 02, 2009] A widely anticipated heart disease study released Tuesday could boost the use of an advanced type of heart defibrillator made by companies with strong roots in Minnesota. "This will likely broaden the number of patients who will be treated with [CRT-D] devices," said Dr. William Katsiyiannis, a cardiologist at Minneapolis Heart Institute. "Now, only the sickest patients get these devices."

"It looked like the benefits of the therapy were to prevent congestive heart failure (hospital) admissions, and the development of congestive heart failure," said Dr. Adrian Almquist, a heart specialist at Abbott Northwestern Hospital in Minneapolis, which contributed to the study. Noting the expense involved with treating heart failure patients in the hospital, Almquist said: "This is attractive (because) you might be able to forestall the development of heart failure." Read the whole story at the Pioneer Press.