Dive Brief:
- Abbott received Food and Drug Administration approval for updates to its heart monitoring implant that allow patients to be more involved in their care.
- The company’s CardioMEMS device, first approved in 2014, is a small sensor implanted in the pulmonary artery to measure pulmonary artery pressure and send notifications of worsening heart failure.
- The updates will allow patients to view their pulmonary artery pressure readings for the first time and receive personalized medication updates through a smartphone app, Abbott said Monday.
Dive Insight:
Abbott said the updates will help patients stay informed and connected between doctor visits. CardioMEMS was developed to detect the signs of worsening heart failure before symptoms appear. As heart failure gets worse, pressure in the artery between the heart and the lungs can rise.
"Heart failure can worsen before patients notice shortness of breath, swelling or weight gain,” said Dr. Andrew Sauer, a cardiologist and vice president for research at Saint Luke’s Mid America Heart Institute, in a statement from Abbott. “Pulmonary artery pressure readings can help identify changes earlier, giving care teams an opportunity to adjust treatment before symptoms develop.”
In addition to letting patients view their readings, the CardioMEMS updates include a software feature that allows clinicians to adjust medications based on changes in pulmonary artery pressure. The feature, called dynamic treatment plan, can send instructions directly to patients through an app.
Abbott said it expects to make dynamic treatment plans and the CardioGuide HF App available later this year.
Earlier this year, Abbott received an FDA nod for a version of CardioMEMS with a much smaller reader. CardioMEMS received a national coverage determination from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services in 2025.
