Lay summary
The number one reason why patients over 65 years go to hospital is heart failure. Specifically, patients experience accumulation of fluid in the chest cavity which leads to signs and symptoms of congestion. Currently, even with best standard therapy for decongestion of fluid, more than half of these patients are unable to decongest completely. This is important since incomplete decongestion is a major predictor of further hospitalizations and worsening outcomes. Our proposal will target receptors within the large veins to decrease blood volume using a novel device. Currently no drug or device targets these receptors and this may represent a better way to treat congestion. If successful, our device has the potential to transform decongestion in patients with acute decompensated heart failure and improve outcomes.