Selective activation of the vagus nerve as an improved therapy for heart failure

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): The goal of the proposed project is to alleviate the enormous public health burden of heart failure. Heart failure leads to significant morbidity and mortality, affects almost five million Americans, and results in morethan 35 billion dollars in annual healthcare costs. Current pharmacological and surgical treatments are only moderately effective and can have substantial side effects. Regardless of cause, heart failure can lead to sustained, decreased cardiac output resulting in failure of the heart to meet the perfusion demands of peripheral tissue. This decrease in cardiac output is accompanied by an imbalance in input to the heart from the autonomic nervous system. A pathological decrease in parasympathetic activity and increase in sympathetic activity further contribute to heart failure through increased oxidative stress and inflammation and predispose patients to malignant arrhythmias and sudden death. Restoration of autonomic balance would remove stress from th