Christ Hospital Cardiologists Investigate Expanded Use of Pacemakers in New Class of Heart Failure Patients

Patients with moderate, symptomatic heart failure may benefit from treatment to limit its worsening. Cardiologists at The Christ Hospital Lindner Research Center are studying the use of cardiac resynchronization therapy-pacemakers (CRT-Ps), which may help pacing between the different chambers of the heart to delay heart failure progression in symptomatic patients with mildly reduced heart function. The treatment is currently indicated for patients with moderate to severe heart failure. The Christ Hospital was the first hospital in the U.S. to enroll patients in the randomized, double-blind multi-center global clinical trial (MIRACLE EF), sponsored by Medtronic, Inc. To date, The Christ Hospital has enrolled four patients into the trial. “There is a significant unmet need for treatment options among heart failure patients whose disease is less pronounced but still cause for concern,” explains Edward J. Schloss, MD, director of electrophysiology for The Christ Hospital and the cardiologist who performed the first implant procedure globally. “These patients do not currently qualify for other therapies, and we hope to expand their treatment options by demonstrating the therapeutic benefit of this type of heart pacing.” The criteria for the MIRACLE EF trial include patients who have a mildly reduced left ventricular ejection fraction (EF) in the range of 36 to 50 percent, along with criteria for left bundle branch block. EF is a measurement of how well a patient’s heart is pumping. These patients have a milder form of heart pump dysfunction (weakness) than is currently indicated for implanted device therapy. “Our team at The Christ Hospital is committed to advancing cutting edge research, and we strive to offer our patients the highest standard of care available in cardiology,” notes Gregory Egnaczyk, MD, PhD, lead investigator for the study at the Hospital’s Lindner Research Center. The Christ Hospital is one of 275 centers throughout the United States, Canada, Europe, Japan and developing markets that are participating in this study. MIRACLE EF will enroll up to 2,300 patients who will receive a Medtronic Consulta® CRT-P in this prospective, double-blind, randomized controlled trial. Patients will be followed for at least two years or until close of the study. For more information about MIRACLE EF, call the Lindner Research Center at 513.585.1777 or visit LindnerResearch.com. About The Lindner Research Center: For the past 25 years, The Christ Hospital Lindner Research Center has provided leading-edge medicines and medical technology research covering a broad spectrum of conditions from obesity, diabetes, coronary disease, hypertension and hyperlipidemia to new vascular interventional devices, adult stem cell therapies, structural heart disease, cardiovascular surgery, heart failure and electrophysiology. Physicians at the Lindner Research Center have conducted more than 1,200 clinical trials including multiple first-in-man and first-in-the-U.S procedures, which have contributed to best practice standards for the care of patients. For information on current trials, please visit LindnerResearch.com. About The Christ Hospital Health Network:The Christ Hospital Health Network is a regional system of care that extends The Christ Hospital’s nearly 125 years of superior care and leadership to more than 100 locations in the Greater Cincinnati area. The Network delivers integrated, individualized healthcare and wellness services through its comprehensive physician network, advanced specialty services and the region’s leading hospital. Its mission is to provide the finest patient experience and improve the health of the community. To learn more about its locations and award-winning services, visit TheChristHospital.com.