Videos about the Angel Med Device.

New Medical Device Warns Patients Of Impending Heart Attack

Researchers have developed a new implantable medical device that alerts people when a heart attack is ‘around the corner’ . The device, created by Mary Carol Day and Christopher Young, is under clinical trials and uses both acoustic, vibration and visual signals to alert people regarding a possible heart attack. Currently, there are many implantable medical devices, such as left ventricular assist like device (LVAD), pacemakers, implantable cardioverter defibrillator (ICD s). Pacemakers and ICDs are used to treat arrhythmias, which means abnormal beats of heart. LVAD improves heart pump function.

Creating a device that alerts people about a heart attack patients may save lives. Even though most people know the symptoms of a myocardial infarction ( constrictive chest pain that does not respond to nitroglycerin, radiation possible in the left shoulder, back or jaw, sweating, anxiety), however many patients arrive at hospital too late sometimes. Moreover, there are situations in which the patient feels no pain and only symptom may be shortness of breath, as patients with diabetes. Arrival at the hospital as soon as possible after the onset of stroke is extremely important.


The new device, called AngelMed Guardian ®, is extremely useful for patients with cardiovascular disease and risk of myocardial infarction. Even if this kind of devices have been created so far, none have used the combination of acoustic, visual and vibration signals. In addition, it was found that the auditors based only on signals such as those implanted in the heart defibrillators may not always help because patients sometimes do not hear the alarm. Author Mary Carol Day says that this device has two major advantages. First, this device is implanted, that is it can not be forgotten. The second is that the device is also vibratile, warning patient of stroke whether he wears warm clothes or does not hear very well.

As a medical device, this is fixed in the upper left chest, and has the size of a pacemaker. In fact, the entire device is composed of two parts, one part which is implanted in the chest, and another part resembling a pager that alerts the patient when necessary. The device was designed to send two types of alarms, depending on the seriousness of the event. The first is an emergency alarm and warn the patient he can have a heart attack, and the second is a minor emergency and tells the patient to consult a physician within 24 hours. The results are promising so far. In studies of elderly patients, they could make the difference between the two types of emergencies. They also said they were satisfied with the quality warnings. The author added that in case the device is approved by FDA, it will probably need some changes in order to improve the quality of the interaction between the patient and the system.

POSTED IN: MEDICAL NEWS BY ELVIS AUGUSTIN COMMENT ON APRIL 16TH, 2012

Tuesday, August 21, 2012

This is part of an email I sent out to my family, I want to share it with my new family here who are following along with this journey.

As you all know, I have had and do have coronary artery disease and congestive heart failure. I have been on at least 8 different blood pressure meds and am allergic to all of them. Its been a very long/dreary summer with on/off/on meds... (i have had to close my shop in June due to health/energy/finances)
In February, 2012, I had my annual stress test and  it showed some issues. My doctor then did an angiogram which showed all to be ok. In January of 2010 I did a stress test which appeared to be ok, and then went on to have an angiogram with the implant of 5 stents. So with that said, my doctor "personally" invited me to participate in this trial. Angel-Med Heart Guardian Device.

Currently there are 450 people in the USA participating with 40 or so in my area who have the angel-med device. The device is approved in Brazil and my doc feels next year we in the US may get FDA approval as well.

My cardiologist, Dr. Dale Presser, is a doctor participating in my area. He feels with my strange body this is the PERFECT device for me and my heart. I have agreed. LOL

Wednesday morning, 7am, Aug22, I am having this device implanted. Its the size of a pacemaker and has a lead to the heart just as a pacemaker does. The risk of complication is 1%. Hardly any procedure has that low of a risk. It involves a 2" incision, just as a pacemaker. I will have a sling on left arm until my wound check appointment 2 days later. The procedure itself takes about 25-30 mins and I will go home the same day.

For a period of 2 weeks I can not lift anything more than the weight of a gallon of milk, my first thought on that was, "Oh, my neck and back will be happy with that!".

At days 7-14 I will return to doc at which time my device will be "randomized", meaning it will be turned off or on. This is a trial and study so its random as to who gets turned on/off. I then have appointment at 1 month, 2 month and 6 months and at 6 month intervals thereafter. Should I not be turned on during the 7-14 day visit, I would be turned on at the 6 month visit.

As well as vibrations, the device has an audio box, the size of a pager that will verbally tell you to "call the doctor" or "go the the ER". The Angel-Med can predict a heart attack 3-4 hours before it actually happens. One man had his device turned on and 4 hours later it told him to go to the ER. He had HUGE blockage. Whew.. lucky him.

My doctor will be implanting an Angel Med into a family member of his in October. That, the benefits to myself and the world at large enabled me to make a very well thought out decision.
I have set up a blog and will be posting to it through out my journey. I hope you all will follow along.

Ashley will be with me on Wednesday and my Calvin may pop in.. this is NOT his area and I am just fine with that.. I know he supports me always in anything I choose to do. :)

I hear the hospital I am going to, Cypress Pointe Hospital in Hammond, LA is awesome!!

One more thing, can anyone run on over and help me clean my messy room? Don"t want to break my back tripping on all my stuff.. LOL
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