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A new treatment for heart failure has hit the local market, combining an implantable defibrillator with cardiac resynchronization therapy.
Developed in Santa Clara by Guidant Corp., the treatment is the first of its kind. It is designed to improve the quality of life for the more than 5 million
Americans who suffer from heart failure and protect them against sudden cardiac death.
Heart failure is a progressive disease in which the heart can't pump enough oxygenated blood to meet the body's needs. In most cases, the four chambers of the heart are not working as a team to move blood through the heart.
Poor synchronization among the chambers prevents them from filling and emptying normally.
When the Guidant device is implanted, it stimulates the heart enough to give patients more strength and mobility.
Heart failure is closely related to age and lifestyle. Of the roughly 5 million people who suffer from heart failure...