Cardiovascular disease is a leading cause of death worldwide, and researchers believe the new procedure has the potential to improve life expectancy and reduce hospital readmissions.
Thursday 20 June 2024 15:09, UK
For the first time, doctors have succeeded in using gentle shock waves to “regenerate” heart muscle after bypass surgery.
Treated patients were shown to have clinical improvement after one year compared with untreated patients.
Not only did the treated patients’ hearts pump more oxygen around the body, they were able to walk for six minutes without stopping and reported a better quality of life than patients who did not receive the treatment.
Prof Johannes Holfeld, from the Medical University of Innsbruck in Austria, told the BBC the treatment could help “millions of people”.
“This means they will be able to take their dog for a walk again or go to the supermarket as part of their everyday routine,” Professor Holfeld said.
“We also expect to see increased life expectancy and reduced hospital readmissions.”
According to the Medical University of Innsbruck, heart bypass surgery is the most common major surgery in the Western world and can help patients whose blood supply to the heart is suddenly cut off.
The procedure creates a new pathway for blood to flow around narrowed or blocked sections of the aorta, improving blood flow and oxygen delivery — and effectively preserving, but not improving, heart function — paving the way for researchers to evaluate whether it could help damaged heart muscle regenerate after surgery.
“Feasible and safe”
In a study of just over 60 patients in Austria, researchers used a machine called a “space hairdryer” to deliver weak sound waves immediately after bypass surgery.
The 10-minute treatment was thought to encourage the growth of new blood vessels around areas damaged or injured after a heart attack.
A study published in the European Heart Journal found that one year after surgery, the amount of oxygenated blood pumped by the heart increased by 11.3 percent in patients who received shockwave therapy, compared with 6.3 percent in a control group that did not receive treatment.
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The researchers now want to carry out larger trials to confirm their findings.
“The treatment was feasible and safe. The results of the study suggest that this therapeutic strategy may contribute to solving the unmet clinical need of myocardial regeneration in patients with ischemic heart failure,” the researchers wrote in their paper.
Blockages and diseases of the heart and blood vessels, commonly referred to as cardiovascular disease, are the leading cause of death worldwide, killing an estimated 18 million people each year, according to the World Health Organization.
Dr Sonia Babu Narayan, deputy medical director at the British Heart Foundation and a cardiologist, described the trial as “exciting”.
She said: “Heart failure is an extremely debilitating disease which is estimated to affect more than one million people in the UK. Ischaemic heart disease – a poor blood supply to the heart muscle – is known to be the biggest cause of heart failure cases.”
“Heart surgery to bypass blocked coronary arteries can undoubtedly help relieve symptoms in patients with ischemic heart disease and prevent heart failure. However, this is not always the case and there is still much room for improvement.”
“What’s interesting about this study is that people who received shockwave therapy to their hearts during surgery had better heart function and fewer symptoms one year later than those who didn’t. Larger, longer trials are needed to study the long-term effects.”
