HUMC Celebrates Heart Month with Cardiovascular Successes

What You Need To Know

February is American Heart Month, a time when all people are encouraged to focus on their cardiovascular health. Hackensack University Medical Center’s heart experts are taking this time to celebrate their leadership in cardiovascular care. The hospital is the only center in New Jersey to use a novel method to assess the health of smaller arteries in the heart and pinpoint microvascular disease, which until now has presented a diagnostic challenge. And they are offering patients promising new therapies by participating in high-profile cardiovascular clinical trials.

Unique Cardiovascular Procedures

In February 2023, interventional cardiologists at HUMC became the first in the state to use the Coroventisǂ CoroFlowǂ Cardiovascular System during coronary angiography to evaluate key measures of heart function and diagnose or rule out cardiac small vessel disease in people with symptoms such as chest pain — especially those with no evidence of significant blockages in the major coronary arteries. Today the hospital is one of the highest volume centers in the northeastern United States to offer this evaluation as part of a comprehensive catheterization procedure.

While cardiologists have long known the impact of coronary artery disease on the heart, they now understand the contributing effects of coronary microvascular disease on heart health as well. The CoroFlow system is a wireless device used in conjunction with Abbott's PressureWire™ X Guidewire. It generates hemodynamic data measuring the function of the epicardial vessels (the large blood vessels) and the microvascular vessels (microscopic small blood vessels). 

Hackensack interventional cardiologist Ankitkumar Patel, MD, is involved with the Microvascular Network, a group of 50 to 60 individuals around the country committed to expanding therapy awareness, promoting clinical research, and advancing guidelines for the management of microvascular disease. Hackensack University Medical Center has also been invited to participate in a multicenter registry on microvascular disease. 

Advancing the Field through Research

EVOID-AS Trial
HUMC  is participating in the EVOID-AS clinical trial, which is assessing an oral medication (evogliptin) to reduce the progression of mild and moderate aortic stenosis with calcification. Participants will receive placebo or one of two doses of evogliptin. While Hackensack offers the latest interventional and surgical techniques for advanced cases of aortic stenosis — such as transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) and minimally invasive surgical aortic valve replacement (miniAVR) — this clinical trial, available at a small number of select sites nationwide, is the first of its kind focused on preventing disease progression. 

Individuals interested in being evaluated for possible enrollment candidacy for the EVOID-AS trial can contact Ankitkumar Patel, MD, Primary Investigator at XXX. 

Impella ECP Pivotal Trial
Patients with complex coronary artery disease and cardiogenic shock have access to the latest Impella circulatory support devices at HUMC, home to the third largest Impella program in the U.S. and the largest Impella program at a non-heart transplant center. The hospital is now the top enrolling center in the world in the Impella ECP Pivotal Trial, which is evaluating the world’s smallest heart pump technology for use during high-risk elective or urgent percutaneous coronary intervention procedures. The high-volume center was selected due to the experience of its interventional cardiologists, who are evaluating the new pump’s function for high-risk, highly complex interventions. CT-fusion is applied in a hybrid operating room/catheterization lab setting to create a live 3D model to help optimally position the Impella ECP for real-time interventions. Hackensack is the only center with this level of expertise and collaboration between cardiac interventionalists and advanced cardiac imagers. 

Currently, Primary Investigator, Ankitkumar Patel, MD and co-investigators Pranaychandra Vaidya, MD and Haroon Faraz, MD are involved in Impella ECP Continued Access Program and will be progressing to the Impella ECP Early Feasibility Study which will evaluate the next generation of the pump technology.