And she hasn't been to the hospital because of heart trouble since the device was activated nine months ago. The pacemaker has also given her more free time. Before it was turned on, Haycox required intravenous medication, a process that took 12 hours a week. Sentara Virginia Beach General Hospital was among 44 medical centers in the United States and Canada to test a pacemaker called InSync made by Medtronic Inc., which funded the research. The device is one of three under development today.
Doctors have to interpret the results carefully.
Heart failure patients are so hungry for a miracle that 38 percent of subjects reported feeling better even before their pacemakers were turned on. This phenomenon, known as the placebo effect, makes it hard to judge the device's effectiveness, said Kanter, who saw 15 of the study's 266 participants. Congestive heart failure afflicts more than 5 million Americans. Half die within five years, Kanter said. The sickest patients, such as those who participated in the trial, often die sooner.