Medtronic heart device as effective for diabetics

BARCELONA, Sep 4 (Reuters) Medtronic Inc's cardiac resynchronisation therapy (CRT) is equally effective for heart patients whether or not they have diabetes, researchers said.

CRT, an implantable device, resynchronises the contractions of the heart's ventricles by sending electrical impulses that help it pump blood more efficiently.

More than 200,000 patients with heart failure around the world have been fitted with a CRT device manufactured by either market leader Medtronic or one of its competitors.

The latest findings, which come from a sub-analysis of the large CARE-HF clinical study, were presented at the World Congress of Cardiology.

''From previous CARE-HF data, we already knew that CRT improves survival in heart failure patients,'' said Dr Uta Hoppe of the University of Cologne, Germany yesterday.

''With these new data, we now have proof that CRT is beneficial in heart failure patients with different co-morbidities, including those at risk of sudden cardiac death and patients with diabetes.'' The latest data showed that CRT decreased the risk of heart-failure death by 45 percent and sudden cardiac death by 53 percent.

Importantly, the mortality rate in patients with diabetes was reduced by 39 percent, comparable to the 40 percent reduction seen in patients without diabetes.

Diabetes and heart failure often coexist, reflecting the vulnerability of diabetics to cardiovascular disease.

Patients with diabetes have an up to five-fold increased risk of developing heart problems.

Reuters KR VP0817