St. Joseph’s Health using new technology for heart-failure patients

SYRACUSE, N.Y. — St. Joseph’s Health says its cardiologists are using new technology to monitor and treat heart-failure (HF) patients.

The system’s Cardiovascular Institute has added the CardioMEMS HF system.

“This new technology will dramatically enhance the proactive management of heart failure and heart health in our community,” Dr. Ali Al-Mudamgha, cardiologist with St. Joseph’s Physicians, contended in a statement. “The CardioMEMS HF System will reduce the number of in-person appointments needed to collect and assess a patient’s current health, allowing us to continue to provide important patient care while maintaining the health and safety of high-risk patients seeking treatment as well as our clinical staff.”

The CardioMEMS HF System has two parts, including an implantable sensor and an external measurement system.

The sensor is a miniaturized, wireless monitoring device that is implanted in the pulmonary artery (PA) during a minimally invasive procedure. The electronics transmit the readings to a secure website where it can be seen and tracked by St. Joseph’s Health physicians. The system also allows patients to remotely transmit PA pressure readings from their homes to their health-care providers, allowing for “personalized and proactive” management to reduce the likelihood of hospitalization.

St. Joseph’s Health cites data from the American Heart Association and the Heart Failure Society of America, indicating nearly 6 million Americans are living with heart failure, and 670,000 new cases are diagnosed each year. In the U.S., the number of deaths from this condition has more than doubled since 1979, averaging 250,000 annually.