Methodist Hospital performed the first case in Texas in a new clinical trial to evaluate a first-of-its-kind treatment option for heart failure. The procedure was performed on August 25. The study is evaluating the efficacy and safety of a new and innovative approach to treating heart failure, designed to improve the structure and function of the heart. This procedure may help reduce symptoms, improve quality of life, and potentially increase life expectancy.
An estimated 6.5 million U.S. adults live with heart failure, a condition in which the heart’s muscles weaken and lose their ability to pump enough oxygen-rich blood to the body. Heart failure patients suffer from debilitating symptoms including persistent exhaustion, trouble breathing, confusion, and loss of memory. About half of heart failure patients have an enlarged left ventricle, the main pumping chamber of the heart, which causes more stress on the heart and leads to reduced pumping efficiency, called ejection fraction.
Standard treatment options for heart failure include lifestyle changes, medications, and implanting a pacemaker to help support the heart’s pumping abilities. Because heart failure is progressive, meaning symptoms tend to worsen over time, patients need new options when existing therapies are no longer able to manage their condition.
“Many patients diagnosed with heart failure are in need of treatments that can help manage symptoms when other therapies have been exhausted, such as medications or pacemakers,” said Jorge Alvarez, MD, Director of the Structural Heart Program at Methodist Hospital. “Our participation in this clinical trial is shaping the future of care for these patients and helping us identify new options for improving heart function and slowing disease progression.”
The CORCINCH-HF Study includes heart centers from around the world, including Methodist Hospital. The study will enroll 400 patients as part of a regulatory process to gain approval from the FDA. To be eligible, patients must meet the following main criteria:
- Have been told they have heart failure by their doctor
- Have had their doctor explain that they have reduced ejection fraction (low heart pumping ability)
- Are taking heart failure medications, but have symptoms that are worsening (e.g., shortness of breath, fatigue, coughing, leg swelling, or trouble breathing at night)
To learn more about cardiovascular care at Methodist Hospital.