Aquapheresis Safe And Effective Means To Remove Fluid In Congestive Heart Failure Patients

CHF Solutions, a private medical device manufacturer, announced that data from two studies published in the December 6 edition of the Journal of the American College of Cardiology (JACC) show that Aquapheresis, the company's advanced ultrafiltration procedure, is a safe and effective means to remove large volumes of excess fluid in congestive heart failure patients with fluid overload. In addition, the studies demonstrated improved patient outcomes after Aquapheresis therapy both in the hospital and sustained for three months, when compared to diuretic drug therapy alone. The two studies are named RAPID and EUPHORIA.

"The results of RAPID and EUPHORIA confirm the earlier trials on the clinical value of mechanical salt and water removal in patients with fluid overload," said Dr. Paul Sobotka, chief medical officer at CHF Solutions. "These findings clearly establish Aquapheresis with the Aquadex FlexFlow system as a powerful option for salt and water removal in these patients and give us pause to reconsider the current treatment protocols. When published in early 2006, the results of the recently completed UNLOAD(1) trial will examine these sustained clinical benefits of early Aquapheresis with the Aquadex FlexFlow system on a much larger scale."

In heart failure patients, an inefficient heart can lead to a build up of excess fluid, causing swollen legs and arms, fatigue, and eventually severe and life-threatening shortness of breath. Improved treatment of fluid overload could improve patient care while reducing these costs. In the United States each year, there are more than 3.1 million hospital admissions of heart failure patients at a cost of approximately $23 billion.

SOURCE: CHF Solutions, Inc.