'Heart shrinking' trial to begin

Posted on Wednesday, 2 May, 2012 | Comment icon

5 comments | News tip by: Still Waters

Image credit: USAF

Doctors are to trial a new technique for treating heart failure that involves electrical stimulation.

Heart disease is one of the world's biggest killers and experts have been looking for new ways to treat patients and extend the life expectancy of those suffering from the condition. The new technique that has been developed uses an electrical charge to shrink the heart on the basis that the bigger the heart becomes, the more the patient's condition deteriorates.

Up to 100 patients will be receiving a pacemaker-like device that will be fitted to the vagus nerve as part of clinical trials, it is hoped that if successful the treatment could lead to a better quality of life for thousands of heart disease patients all over the world.

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.

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Source: Telegraph

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Recent comments on this story

#1 Posted by Simbi Laveau on 30 April, 2012, 4:02

Im shocked its even been mentioned in public domain. The Batista procedure,albeit far from perfect,does have a success rate,to a degree,and yet its unheard of in the USA .I dont know if it's been used in Europe,but given the fact you are destined to die of heart failure anyway,I never got why patients weren't even given the option to try it. They seem to just prefer to give them unless drugs ,until they just succumb to the hypertrophy . In the USA at least.

#2 Posted by behaviour??? on 30 April, 2012, 4:42

I am not sure if this has got to do anything with the basic fibirilator procedure. But yea, strange! I would love to see the conclusions

#3 Posted by catfishyeah on 3 May, 2012, 14:33

Wait, if you shrink the heart, couldn't that cause some problems as well?

#4 Posted by FurthurBB on 3 May, 2012, 15:55

Well, heart failure is associated with an enlarged heart or an enlarged left ventricle. Shrinking a normal heart would not be a good idea.

#5 Posted by catfishyeah on 4 May, 2012, 19:09

I though so. So they're trying to fix one problem with another? Not smart, not smart indeed.

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