Press Release
Elmhurst Memorial Hospital, Midwest Heart Specialists participate in landmark heart failure trial
For immediate release, September 1, 2009
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Kyle Bauer, Public Relations Coordinator, 630-993-5702
ELMHURST — Twenty years ago, George Havelka had a heart attack. Ten years ago, he had bypass surgery. Today at age 70, Havelka has no interest in reliving either experience. That’s why he did not hesitate when given the chance in 2006 to participate in a clinical trial of a device that is designed to reduce his chances of experiencing another heart attack.
Earlier this week, the results the trial that Havelka participated in show that early intervention using a combination defibrillator-resynchronization device can cut patients’ chances of developing heart failure by 41 percent. The findings were announced on Sept. 1 at the European Society for Cardiology meeting in Barcelona and published online in the New England Journal of Medicine.
The trial, called MADIT-CRT (Multicenter Automated Defibrillator Implantation Trial with Cardiac Resynchronization Therapy), tracked more than 1,800 patients with mild heart disease in North America and Europe for more than four years. Locally, Elmhurst Memorial Hospital (EMH) served as one of the 110 clinical trial sites.
“The amount of blood being pumped out of my heart is decreasing over the years,” Havelka said. “My cardiologist mentioned this program to me and said I would be a good candidate for it. It’s been great. I’ve had nothing but good results.”
Cash Casey, M.D., a member of the EMH medical staff and a cardiologist with Midwest Heart Specialists, led the study at EMH, treating 32 patients, making the Hospital the sixth largest enroller in the country and 10th largest in the world.
“Past research has shown that patients with a weakened heart could benefit from a defibrillator,” Dr. Casey said. “This study went beyond that by looking at a new device that could help manage symptoms and improve the quality of life for many people.”
For the study, a portion of participants were given a defibrillator, while others received cardiac resynchronization therapy defibrillators (CRT-D), which are small implantable devices that improve the heart’s pumping ability by delivering small electrical impulses that help synchronize contractions of the left ventricle. They also monitor the heart for potentially fatal heart rhythms, and, if such a rhythm is detected, the device delivers a lifesaving shock to restore normal heart rhythm and prevent sudden cardiac death, which occurs more frequently in patients with heart failure.
“The device is like a special pacemaker,” Dr. Casey explained. “For many people with a weakened or enlarged heart, the chamber walls are not contracting at the same time, which creates a situation where the heart is not pumping blood effectively. This device helps the heart beat in sync and improves its squeezing ability.”
For Havelka, who lives alone, the device provides peace of mind. “I would recommend this for anybody,” he said. “I’m not afraid to be here in the evening by myself in the event that I would have a recurrence of a heart attack. That doesn’t faze me at all because I have so much confidence this thing.”
Heart failure is a common and serious medical condition that affects more than five million Americans. In individuals with the condition, the lower chambers of the heart are unable to pump sufficient blood to meet the needs of the circulatory system. Heart failure occurs when the heart becomes weakened or damaged from disease or injury, such as a heart attack.
“This device is a powerful tool from a prevention standpoint,” Dr. Casey said. “Implanting it before symptoms are present could prevent them from ever developing as opposed to waiting for the symptoms to affect your quality of life.”