The wearable mini-pump allows patients with the condition to receive medication at home rather than in hospital.
Stephen Allan from Clarkston was invited to take part in the Glasgow University-led trial for the new device and drug treatment method along with 171 other heart failure patients.
The 65-year-old had taken a number of medications and had a pacemaker fitted after being diagnosed in 2015.
He said: “I had been having lots of problems with fluid retention in my legs that my normal medication alone couldn’t get under control.
“In April 2024 it got so bad I had to go into hospital for treatment on a drip.
“After being asked to be part of the trial, they showed me how to use the device myself and make it work. I found it easy to use and had no problems.
“The greatest thing about it is the new treatment method gave me the freedom to get home to family and be more comfortable.
“Using the device also means that you are not taking up a bed in hospital, which feels like a good thing to be able to do as well.
“Overall, the treatment worked really well and I’m now on medication to keep my symptoms under control.”
Heart failure is a condition where the heart does not pump blood around the body as efficiently as it should, which often results in fluid gathering in patients’ lungs or legs.
This can cause shortness of breath and/or swollen legs and, if diuretic tablets are not effective, can result in patients being admitted to hospital for treatment with intravenous diuretics.
Currently, such patients need on average nine to 10 days of treatment with furosemide.
Researchers, however, have reported positive results from trials using the new wearable mini-pump – similar to wearable devices used for diabetes treatment – to administer the furosemide medication.
In hospital, patients were shown how to use the pump, which attaches to the abdomen area, and were then monitored for 24 hours before being discharged to ensure they were able to continue the treatment safely at home.
Ninety-two patients were placed on the device arm of the trial while the other 80 received care as usual.
The study found those on the device section of the trial were no more likely to become unwell after treatment and showed similar recoveries to patients who received standard care.
The combination of the drug and the device, which was designed by SQ Innovation Inc, was trialled at 20 hospitals across the UK.
Researchers found participants were able to be discharged from hospital after around two days – five days earlier than would normally be expected in the UK – and were able to safely continue the reminder of their treatment at home.
Professor Mark Petrie, professor of cardiology at the University of Glasgow and co-lead author of the study, said: “The results of (the trial) demonstrate a leap forward in our ability to treat patients with heart failure in a way that benefits them and the NHS.
“The study demonstrates how safe and effective this treatment method can be, as well as how simple to use the device and drug combination were for patients at home.”
