URMC Heart Research Expands to Asia

Under the leadership of Cardiology Professor Arthur J. Moss, M.D., URMC is launching a new study called MADIT-Asia, which will test the use of cardiac resynchronization therapy (CRT therapy) in Asian patients with non-coronary heart disease. The trial is the latest in the series of MADIT (Multicenter Automatic Defibrillator Implantation Trial) studies, which Moss has led since their inception in the early 1990’s.

Unlike the U.S., where the majority of heart disease is caused by cholesterol-clogged arteries that restrict blood flow from the coronary arteries to the heart, Asian countries have a much higher proportion of heart disease that’s caused by virus or other unknown factors. Moss says the study is important because there has been almost no research related to the treatment of non-ischemic or non-coronary heart disease in the Asian population; most trials have taken place in the U.S. and Europe.

Researchers will enroll patients from China, Hong Kong, India, Japan, South Korea, Taiwan, Singapore, Thailand and Malaysia. Half of the patients will receive cardiac resynchronization therapy plus standard medical management and the other half will be managed medically.

Read more about MADIT Asia and the results of past MADIT trials here.