| Fire Department Seeks Federal Funding for Firefighter Screening with Cambridge Heart's Sudden Cardiac Arrest Diagnostic Test |
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TEWKSBURY, Mass., Jun 23, 2011 (BUSINESS WIRE) -- Cambridge Heart, Inc. (OTCBB: CAMH), a developer of non-invasive diagnostic tests for cardiac disease, today announced that the Freeport, Maine Fire Department has applied for a federal grant to establish firefighter screenings for Sudden Cardiac Arrest (SCA) risk to include the company's Microvolt T-Wave Alternans (MTWA) non-invasive diagnostic test. Firefighters are at high risk of sudden cardiac death. Nearly 64 percent of on-duty firefighter fatalities in 2010 were caused by sudden cardiac arrest, statistics compiled by U.S. Fire Administration (USFA) show. However, 75 percent of those at risk have detectable heart conditions or risk factors, according to preventive cardiologist Lowell Gerber, M.D., who has devised a comprehensive and updated protocol for screening and intervention to reduce the risk of sudden death. Several Freeport FD firefighters were tested last year as part of a pilot program. "Traditional stress tests and EKGs are important but only give physicians a partial risk profile," Dr. Gerber says. "Given the alarming rise in high cholesterol, high blood pressure, diabetes and other risk factors, it's important to test not only for blood vessel obstructions that can cause heart attacks, but also to include the 15-minute non-invasive MTWA test for detecting risk of potentially deadly arrhythmias, electrical disturbances that trigger Sudden Cardiac Arrest." The new firefighter testing protocol also includes a comprehensive evaluation of metabolic abnormalities, which may underlie the T-wave alternans electrical disturbances, but can be managed to reduce risk of sudden death. The Freeport Fire Department's application for FEMA's Assistance to Firefighters Grant Program will be reviewed this summer. If approved, screening will begin in September. "While our first concern is the safety of our professional and volunteer firefighters, we also anticipate a reduction in the significant Workers Compensation costs associated with heart disease," says Freeport Fire Chief Darrel Fournier. "The updated testing and intervention pilot program we initiated last fall for firefighters has already resulted in lifestyle changes that may be reducing their health risks. It is my hope that other fire departments look at this program." "A substantial and growing body of clinical evidence from around the world confirms the clinical value of MTWA testing in identifying who is--and who is not--at increased risk of sudden cardiac arrest," said Ali Haghighi-Mood, CEO of Cambridge Heart. "Given the fact that cardiac arrest mortality rates remain stubbornly high decade after decade, we applaud the Freeport Fire Department for their recognition that new strategies designed to prevent SCA in the line of duty are needed." Sudden Cardiac Arrest (SCA) is the leading cause of death in the U.S. accounting for an estimated 300,000 deaths each year - more than lung cancer, breast cancer and HIV/AIDS combined. Out-of-hospital survival is less than 8%, making prediction and prevention critically important. Microvolt T-Wave Alternans is a marker of SCA risk which is measured during a non-invasive treadmill test using Cambridge Heart's proprietary technologies. About Cambridge Heart, Inc. Cambridge Heart develops and commercializes non-invasive diagnostic tests for cardiac disease, with a focus on identifying those at risk for sudden cardiac arrest (SCA). The Company's products incorporate proprietary Microvolt T-Wave Alternanstm measurement technologies, including the patented Analytic Spectral Method(R) and ultrasensitive disposable electrode sensors. The Company's MTWA test, originally based on research conducted at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, is reimbursed by Medicare under its National Coverage Policy. Cambridge Heart, founded in 1990, is based in Tewksbury, MA. It is traded on the Over-The-Counter Bulletin Board (OTCBB) under the symbol CAMH.OB. Statements contained in this press release that are not purely historical are forward-looking statements for purposes of the safe harbor provisions under The Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995.In some cases, we use words such as "believes", "expects", "anticipates", "plans", "estimates", "could", and similar expressions that convey uncertainty of future events or outcomes to identify these forward-looking statements.Actual results may differ materially from those indicated by these forward-looking statements.Factors that may cause or contribute to such differences are identified in our most recent Annual Report on Form 10-K under "Risk Factors", which is on file with the SEC and available at www.EDGAR.com.In addition, any forward-looking statements represent our estimates only as of today and should not be relied upon as representing our estimates as of any subsequent date.While we may elect to update forward-looking statements at some point in the future, we specifically disclaim any obligation to do so except as may be legally necessary, even if our estimates should change. SOURCE: Cambridge Heart, Inc. At Cambridge Heart: |
