Game-Changing Endovascular Device-Based Approach Helps Patients Suffering From Heart Failure

When there are changes in cardiac output, the baroreflex mechanism and baroreceptors react by stimulating the sympathetic system, leading to vasoconstriction and regulating heart rate and blood pressure to maintain homeostasis. However, in heart failure, the baroreflex becomes chronically impaired, causing excessive sympathetic activity and decreased parasympathetic activity, which ultimately overburdens the heart. For individuals with symptomatic heart failure who have already tried various medications without much improvement, a new percutaneous catheter-based therapy could potentially provide clinical relief.

The EVBA (endovascular baroreflex amplification) procedure using the unique MobiusHD device from Vascular Dynamics, Inc. (Irvine, CA, USA) stimulates the body's inherent mechanism to restore autonomic equilibrium and ease the heart's workload. The EVBA procedure involves the implantation of the MobiusHD device at a specific location within the carotid sinus. Prior to the procedure, imaging is conducted to pinpoint the optimal target site, and the entire process can be completed within 30 minutes on average.

By altering the shape of the carotid sinus to enhance local arterial wall stretch, the MobiusHD device induces mechanical stimulation of the arterial baroreceptor reflex. This, in turn, stimulates increased nerve signaling and triggers a reduction in sympathetic activity while augmenting parasympathetic activity, thereby rebalancing the autonomic nervous system. This modulation is believed to alleviate symptoms and slow the progression of HFrEF. As a result, the MobiusHD device may present a promising alternative solution for patients with symptomatic heart failure who have not responded well to traditional drug treatments.

A study evaluating the efficacy of the MobiusHD device in patients with progressive heart failure who remained symptomatic despite guideline-directed medical therapy recently presented two-year findings. The results revealed that the implantation of the device and its associated procedure led to continued enhancements in patient-centered outcomes, such as KCCQ scores, 6MWD, and NYHA class, alongside improvements in LVEF and NT-proBNP levels. These outcomes suggest that the EVBA procedure can offer a clinically meaningful and long-lasting benefit for certain heart failure patients.

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