AsianScientist (Apr. 30, 2011) – Researchers from Hong Kong have developed a device called Cardiac Contractility Modulation (CCM), which may be useful in the management of heart failure.
Heart failure affects over 20 million people worldwide and there are over 1.5 million new cases every year. It is caused by ischemic heart disease, hypertension, valvular heart disease and various heart muscle diseases, and is one of the most common diseases leading to hospitalization. Three-year mortality of severe heart failure is close to 50 percent and survivors may face debilitating symptoms such as breathlessness.
Patients with this condition have hearts that are unable to pump blood as effectively as healthy hearts. This causes their hearts to enlarge progressively, leading to circulatory problems that eventually result in multi-organ failure. As yet, there is no cure for heart failure.
In 2005, researchers from the Division of Cardiology of the Department of Medicine and Therapeutics at The Chinese University of Hong Kong introduced the implantable CCM device, the first of its kind in Asia. The device works by introducing intermittent electrical impulses to the heart to give it an extra boost, helping it to pump more effectively.
Unlike a pacemaker, the CCM device does not induce artificial pacing. A major technological breakthrough is the rechargeable battery inside the implanted CCM device. In a simple procedure that can even be performed at home, the battery is recharged externally by placing a portable charger over the patient’s chest for two hours every week. The battery in the CCM devices are expected to last for at least 10 years.
All 38 patients who received CCM therapy were followed for an average of 48 months, during which they showed symptomatic improvement. Cardiac ultrasound (echocardiography) also confirmed an increase in left ventricular ejection fraction and a favorable reduction in ventricular volume by 10 percent, making CCM another promising therapy for patients with advanced heart failure.
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Source: The Chinese University of Hong Kong.
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