A groundbreaking new pacemaker-like device called Rheos that resides in a person’s neck, delivers jolts of electricity to the arteries and reduces blood pressure greater than 160 at one year in 88% of the patients observed, has been promoted this week at American College of Cardiology’s annual meeting. This is a development for people that have not been able to successfully treat hypertension and potential heart failure from drugs alone.

The company, CVRx, has developed proprietary active implantable technology for the treatment of high blood pressure, also referred to as hypertension, and heart failure.

Hypertension affects over 73 million people in the United States and is estimated to cause 1 in every 8 deaths worldwide. It is a major risk factor for cardiovascular disease, morbidity and mortality. It is also a very costly disease and yearly costs to treat hypertension in the United States are estimated to be $69.4 billion.

Twenty-five percent of people with hypertension cannot adequately control their hypertension with medications and lifestyle modifications. It is a disease that needs new treatment solutions.

Heart failure affects over 5 million people in the United States and is associated with a high risk of dying, with a five-year mortality rate of 74%. It has a severe impact on quality of life with symptoms including: general fatigue and weakness; shortness of breath and swelling in the legs and ankles. It is also a costly disease, with an estimated direct and indirect cost of $37.2 billion annually in the United States.

There are no proven treatments available today that improve the function of the heart in individuals with heart failure caused by heart filling problems, also called diastolic heart failure. Diastolic heart failure accounts for up to 50% of heart failure cases.

Dr. John Bisognano, a cardiologist at the University of Rochester Medical Center and a consultant for Rheos manufacturer CVRx said:

“The system is safe and its effect is as good as two or three drugs for people who are already taking 5 or 6 drugs and still can’t control their hypertension. It’s a good additional option for these patients. The drugs available now are good for most people with hypertension, but people with resistant sky-high blood pressure need more. They’re in desperate need of additional treatments.”

The device works by silencing nerves leading into and out of the kidney which play a central role in the sympathetic nervous system, the body’s “fight or flight” response that can increase heart rate and blood pressure.

The device is implanted below the collarbone through a small incision and leads are implanted on either side of the neck, requiring two more small incisions. The system works by delivering 4 to 6 volts of electricity, mimicking a spike in blood pressure that activates a natural process called carotid baroreflex that sends blood pressure lower.

The Rheos System is currently under clinical evaluation in the United States for the treatment of high blood pressure and heart failure. The Rheos System is CE Marked and approved for sale for hypertension patients in Europe.

Sources: CVRx and The American Heart Association

Written by Sy Kraft, B.A.