'Heart shrinking' trial aimed at combating heart failure to begin

guest... Sat Apr 28, 2012 10:50 am

The first trial in humans using electricity to shrink the heart of patients suffering from heart failure is about to start.

The technique involves electrically stimulating nerves leading up to the heart, with the hope it will reduce and size and improve life expectancy.

It has already been trialled on rats and dogs, who were found to have been kept alive longer.

The first patient will be operated on next week by surgeons at Liverpool Heart and Chest Hospital and The Royal Liverpool University Hospital.

Heart failure affects nearly one million people in the UK and can be the result of high blood pressure, dead heart muscle after a heart attack, or a genetic condition.

They will fit a device similar to a pacemaker to the vagus nerve which runs to the heart. Surgeons said the electrical stimulation should "protect the heart" from the effects of the hormone adrenaline.

Dr Jay Wright, a consultant cardiologist at Liverpool Heart and Chest Hospital, told the BBC: "We're hoping it will shrink the heart, but it might not be to normal size."

He said shrinkage "would lead to improvement in symptoms - we know that the bigger the heart the worse the symptoms".

Nearly 100 patients will take part in the trial at 30 hospitals around the world.

The first will be Carl Jordan, who used to be a paramedic. He has had several heart attacks which have damaged his heart, causing it to become enlarged.

He said: "Being the first person to have this device implanted in Liverpool was a huge decision.

"My quality of life at the moment is not great, because of the restrictions my condition has imposed on me, especially the breathing problem, as some days this is quite severe and getting worse.

"Another factor is I have a young family who, although I am the one with the illness, they too are living with it and see every day what it can do to me, so hopefully it will improve my quality of life as well as the lives of others."

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/health/healthnews/9233234/Heart-shrinking-trial-aimed-at-combating-heart-failure-to-begin.html