According to the MADIT-CRT clinical study, funded by Boston Scientific Corp, the chances of hospitalization in heart patients with 'less severe' forms of heart failure can be significantly decreased by the CRT-D device - the combined use of defibrillator and a cardiac-resynchronization therapy device, or CRT.

The study - presented at the annual meeting of the European Society of Cardiology, in Barcelona, and published in the New England Journal of Medicine - has the potential to boost the market for expensive implantable heart devices, like those marketed by Boston Scientific.

Spanning from December 2004 to April 2008, the study observed 1,820 heart patients in the US, Canada, and Europe. The clinical trials revealed that the CRT-D device reduced the mortality risk in asymptomatic and mild heart failure patients by 34 percent, and the chances of hospitalization by 41 percent; vis-à-vis the use of defibrillators alone.

Though some cardiologists acknowledged that the CRT-D device may help patients' hearts work better, but not reduce mortality rate; they clearly warned against a too extensive use.

At present, the combined CRT-D device is approved only for heart patients exhibiting advanced forms of congestive heart failure.

Fred Colen, president of Boston Scientific's cardiac rhythm management unit, said that the company will apply to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) by the year-end for an "indication expansion" of the CRT-D device to patients with less severe cardiac symptoms.