Home Study on Activities of Coronary Patients

A nine-week study has begun to monitor variations in cardiac function of 50 males with coronary artery disease while they are engaged in routine activities at home, including sexual activity. The study is being conducted by researchers at Stanford University (Stanford, CA, USA) in an effort to help doctors better manage heart patients outside a clinical setting.

The subjects will wear a special Holter monitor for at least one 24-hour period each week, which will record electrocardiogram (ECG) data that reflect blood flow to the heart. The subjects are asked to begin the period by applying the Holter monitor prior to engaging in sexual activity. During the nine weeks, the subjects will take both sildenafil (Viagra) and a placebo. The investigators are including the use of sildenafil in order to evaluate the ECG response of sexually active men with heart disease.

The HolterNet cardiac monitor being used in the study is the product of TransMedEx (Melville, NY, USA). The monitor is the size of a pager, uses only five electrodes, and provides diagnostic data comparable to a standard 12-lead ECG, says the company. The test data are available to doctors on a secured Internet site.

"If we are successful in developing cardiac profiles that truly reflect the heart function of patients on a day-to-day basis, we can enhance a physician's ability to monitor and manage the care of patients with heart disease outside the confines of a hospital or clinical setting,” said Robert DeBusk, M.D., professor of medicine at Stanford University School of Medicine.



Related Links:
TransMedEx
Stanford University