Class II heart failure is generally categorized as mild heart failure where patients have a slight limitation with physical activity. Patients in Class II heart failure may feel comfortable at rest but routine physical activity, such as getting the mail, can cause fatigue or shortness of breath. Since the disease can advance to Class III and IV heart failure if left untreated, it's critical for earlier-stage patients to explore the most effective medical options to manage the disease at its onset.

"As the number one cause for hospitalizations in people age 65 and over, heart failure is its own pandemic in the United States," said J. Thomas Heywood, M.D., director of Advanced Heart Failure and co-director of the Pulmonary Hypertension Program at Scripps Clinic in La Jolla, Calif. "Utilizing the CardioMEMS HF System to monitor for signs of worsening heart failure has been shown repeatedly to reduce hospitalizations for patients with later-stage heart disease. The new data provided by the GUIDE-HF study means we can extend these benefits to less sick patients. In the United States alone, this could have a positive impact for more than a million people suffering from heart failure."


Actionable Insights Lead to an Active Life
Robert (Bob) Birdwell, D.D.S., a retired dentist, enjoyed an active lifestyle before being diagnosed with heart failure. He had difficulty controlling his high blood pressure and felt drained walking to the mailbox. In 2020, Bob received CardioMEMS as a GUIDE-HF trial participant.

"In dentistry, we live in the preventative world of maintaining good oral health. The same concept applies to heart disease where my CardioMEMS is a preventative measure," said Bob. "I have not had a heart failure-related hospitalization since receiving it. I feel grateful."

Nearly two years later, Bob and his wife Vinnie are back to playing golf and exploring their Colorado community. For more on his story, click here.

About the GUIDE-HF Clinical Trial
The GUIDE-HF study included a randomized arm of 1,000 patients and a single arm of up to an additional 2,600 patients that is currently enrolling for a total of 3,600 patients across 118 centers in North America. All patients were implanted with a CardioMEMS sensor, but therapy for patients in the control arm was not guided by the device. In an analysis of data adjusted for the impact of COVID-19 (captured prior to March 13, 2020 – the date the U.S. national emergency was declared), CardioMEMS demonstrated a significant 19% reduction in the study's composite endpoint and a 28% reduction in heart failure hospitalizations. The results of GUIDE-HF were presented at the ESC Congress 2021 (organized by the European Society of Cardiology) in August 2021 and simultaneously published in The Lancet.

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