Heart failure is a disease of epidemic proportions that afflicts over 5 million Americans and an estimated 15 million patients worldwide. It is the most common cause of hospitalization and a growing and costly burden to the healthcare system. It is estimated that in 2005, the U.S. healthcare system will spend about $28.8 billion on caring for heart failure patients. ( American Heart Association; www.americanheart.org)
Heart failure occurs when a heart is unable to pump sufficient blood to meet the needs of the body. A failing heart is most often the result of damage to the heart muscle from injuries such as heart attack, untreated coronary artery disease, or persistent high blood pressure. It can also occur as a result of genetic and/or molecular abnormalities or infections. Any condition that injures the heart can cause heart failure.
Common symptoms of heart failure include shortness of breath, tiredness, weakness, persistent coughing and difficulty performing everyday tasks such as grocery shopping or climbing stairs. Another sign of heart failure is the accumulation of fluid in the legs, feet, abdomen, lower back and lungs.
The most common forms of heart failure are treated with drugs and implanted devices such as pacemakers and implantable cardiac defibrillators. These methods do not, however, always result in an improvement of symptoms. The Optimizer™ System being offered for study by Impulse Dynamics may be used in patients in whom the other treatments have failed or are not indicated. |
