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BOSTON, Aug. 22, 2015 /PRNewswire-iReach/ -- Stuart Millheiser is the founder of ALS Guardian Angels, a charity organization that provides financial support to ALS patients and their families. According to Stu Millheiser, a recent report suggests that diaphragmatic pacing, which was once believed to be a breakthrough treatment for ALS, may actually cause more harm than good.
In a controlled, randomized trial, a diaphragm pacing system increased the risk of death in comparison to ALS patients who received noninvasive ventilation assistance. In light of these findings, the researchers stopped the trial early.
The results indicate that ALS sufferers with respiratory failure should not receive diaphragmatic pacing as a routine treatment. Noninvasive ventilation is currently part of standard treatment for those with respiratory failure, but there are limitations to its abilities. For example, it may not synchronize with normal breathing, and it can make communicating difficult.
For this reason, scientists are looking for new treatments, such as diaphragmatic pacing, to support respiratory function in ALS patients. Diaphragmatic pacing involves stimulating the phrenic nerve so that the diaphragm can contract. This helps people with spinal cord injuries breathe, and the FDA approved it for ALS patients after an initial study compared diaphragmatic pacing data with noninvasive ventilation datasets. Despite the FDA's approval, there was never a controlled trial study into the efficacy and long-term safety of diaphragmatic pacing.
In the recent study, researchers enrolled 74 patients who received either minimally invasive treatment with diaphragm pacing or noninvasive ventilation alone.
After two years, the researchers discovered that survival rates were shorter when patients received diaphragmatic pacing in addition to standard care. Of those in the pacing group, an alarming 78 percent died in comparison to 51 percent from the group receiving noninvasive ventilation alone.
The findings contradict data that the FDA used when it approved the treatment, which reflected survival advantages of 16 months from the onset of symptoms and nine months after initiating noninvasive ventilation with device usage.
The complete dataset of the original study has not been published, which makes it difficult to understand why the conclusions of the original research conflict with those of the recent study. However, previous research indicates that surgical procedures may accelerate ALS progression. Also, stimulating damaged motor neurons may have adverse effects that would make diaphragmatic pacing dangerous.
Currently, two other studies into diaphragm pacing are underway. Their results will reveal more information about using this treatment for ALS.
Stuart Millheiser is the founder of ALS Guardian Angels. Millheiser founded ALS Guardian Angels in 2007 to help patients that are suffering from ALS, formerly known as Lou Gehrig's disease. Millheiser has helped hundreds of people with ALS by providing everything from medical equipment to support for basic living expenses.
Millheiser has been referred to as "a true angel on earth" for his charitable work. He feels a sense of accomplishment by helping those in need. After the viral spreading of the ice bucket challenge during the summer of 2014, Millheiser is hopeful that more people will continue to become aware of ALS and support this truly important cause.
Media Contact: Stuart Millheiser, ALS Guardian Angels, 949-488-9894, [email protected]
News distributed by PR Newswire iReach: https://ireach.prnewswire.com
SOURCE ALS Guardian Angels
In a controlled, randomized trial, a diaphragm pacing system increased the risk of death in comparison to ALS patients who received noninvasive ventilation assistance. In light of these findings, the researchers stopped the trial early.
The results indicate that ALS sufferers with respiratory failure should not receive diaphragmatic pacing as a routine treatment. Noninvasive ventilation is currently part of standard treatment for those with respiratory failure, but there are limitations to its abilities. For example, it may not synchronize with normal breathing, and it can make communicating difficult.
For this reason, scientists are looking for new treatments, such as diaphragmatic pacing, to support respiratory function in ALS patients. Diaphragmatic pacing involves stimulating the phrenic nerve so that the diaphragm can contract. This helps people with spinal cord injuries breathe, and the FDA approved it for ALS patients after an initial study compared diaphragmatic pacing data with noninvasive ventilation datasets. Despite the FDA's approval, there was never a controlled trial study into the efficacy and long-term safety of diaphragmatic pacing.
In the recent study, researchers enrolled 74 patients who received either minimally invasive treatment with diaphragm pacing or noninvasive ventilation alone.
After two years, the researchers discovered that survival rates were shorter when patients received diaphragmatic pacing in addition to standard care. Of those in the pacing group, an alarming 78 percent died in comparison to 51 percent from the group receiving noninvasive ventilation alone.
The findings contradict data that the FDA used when it approved the treatment, which reflected survival advantages of 16 months from the onset of symptoms and nine months after initiating noninvasive ventilation with device usage.
The complete dataset of the original study has not been published, which makes it difficult to understand why the conclusions of the original research conflict with those of the recent study. However, previous research indicates that surgical procedures may accelerate ALS progression. Also, stimulating damaged motor neurons may have adverse effects that would make diaphragmatic pacing dangerous.
Currently, two other studies into diaphragm pacing are underway. Their results will reveal more information about using this treatment for ALS.
Stuart Millheiser is the founder of ALS Guardian Angels. Millheiser founded ALS Guardian Angels in 2007 to help patients that are suffering from ALS, formerly known as Lou Gehrig's disease. Millheiser has helped hundreds of people with ALS by providing everything from medical equipment to support for basic living expenses.
Millheiser has been referred to as "a true angel on earth" for his charitable work. He feels a sense of accomplishment by helping those in need. After the viral spreading of the ice bucket challenge during the summer of 2014, Millheiser is hopeful that more people will continue to become aware of ALS and support this truly important cause.
Media Contact: Stuart Millheiser, ALS Guardian Angels, 949-488-9894, [email protected]
News distributed by PR Newswire iReach: https://ireach.prnewswire.com
SOURCE ALS Guardian Angels
