Non invasive transcutaneous vagus nerve stimulation in heart failure

• Research type

  Research Study

• Full title

  Non invasive transcutaneous vagus nerve stimulation in heart failure

• IRAS ID

  154178

• Contact name

  John P Greenwood

• Contact email

  j.greenwood@leeds.ac.uk

• Research summary

  Heart failure (HF) is a debilitating and fatal condition. The prevalence of HF rises sharply at 75 years of age and 10-20% of the population aged 70-80 years are affected. The prevalence of heart failure is increasing due to the aging population and improved survival rates, however, prognosis for HF patients remains poor – 50% of patients die within 4 years of diagnosis.

  Vagus nerve stimulation (VNS) has recently been proposed as a method to increase vagus nerve activity in heart failure which has been trialled in patients and resulted in improved quality of life scores. However, VNS is an invasive procedure requiring surgery. This study proposes to use a non-invasive method of VNS by using a branch of the vagus nerve that supplies the skin of the ear.

  The study will investigate the effects of transcutaneous vagus nerve stimulation (tVNS) on the automatic nerve control of the cardiovascular and gastrointestinal system in heart failure patients. This study will also determine the tolerability of tVNS in heart failure patients using a questionnaire.

• REC name

  Yorkshire & The Humber - Leeds East Research Ethics Committee

• REC reference

  14/YH/0178

• Date of REC Opinion

  24 Jun 2014

• REC opinion

  Further Information Favourable Opinion