Biotronik, a German manufacturer of cardiac devices, reported positive results from the IN-TIME study, a randomised, controlled trial designed to assess the influence of home monitoring on the clinical status of heart failure patients.
The IN-TIME study showed a significant reduction in all-cause mortality in heart failure patients with implant-based remote monitoring.
These encouraging study results were presented by coordinating investigator of IN-TIME, professor Gerhard Hindricks, from the Heart Center, University Leipzig, Germany at the European Society of Cardiology congress.
Prof Hindricks said that the occurrence of atrial or ventricular arrhythmias or specific trends in certain clinical parameters can often be the first sign of worsening heart failure that leads to hospitalisation or death.
"Biotronik Home Monitoring allows physicians to facilitate early detection of clinically relevant events or crucial trends in cardiac device patients," Prof Hindricks said. "They then have enough notice to intervene in time, thereby preventing serious or even fatal events and effectively supporting the management of heart failure patients."
Biotronik’s Home Monitoring demonstrated a significant reduction in all-cause mortality in patients with severely depressed LV-function and NYHA II/III compared with standard care.
According to data based on the Kaplan-Meier curve, the mortality at one year follow-up was 3.4% in the home monitoring group, while it was 8.7% in patients with standard care.
Biotronik international president Christoph Böhmer said the IN-TIME study reinforces these clinical outcomes by demonstrating a reduction in mortality in heart failure patients for the first time.
"The latest additions in the ESC guidelines indicate that home monitoring will play an even more important role in the future," Böhmer said.
"The European Society of Cardiology recommends device based telemonitoring for early detection of critical events in cardiac patients."
Biotronik Home Monitoring helps physicians in the early detection of clinically relevant events, especially in asymptomatic atrial fibrillation, thereby facilitating patient therapy at a very early stage.
Home Monitoring is expected to better serve the heart failure patients because of its clinical and economical benefits.
