Medtronic ICMs Detect High Rate of AF in Undiagnosed Patients
Medical device major Medtronic plc MDT recently unveiled results from a new clinical study evaluating Insertable Cardiac Monitors (ICMs). These devices detect high incidence of atrial fibrillation (AF) in patients previously undiagnosed but suspected to be at high-risk for AF and stroke. The company recently presented the REVEAL AF (Incidence of AF in High Risk Patients) study at Heart Rhythm Society’s 38th Annual Scientific Sessions.
Over the last three months, Medtronic has been trading above the Zacks categorized Medical - Products industry. The stock has gained 7.4%, compared to 5.8% of the broader industry. We expect the latest REVEAL AF dataset to enhance heart failure business prospects and boost the company’s share price further.
Notably, AF is a common cardiac condition in which the heart beats irregularly or rapidly. Patients with AF are five times more likely to have a stroke due to small blood clots that may form in the heart and subsequently travel to the brain. Failure to recognize and treat AF can lead to strokes because AF often has no symptoms. This condition is also difficult to be detected using conventional cardiac monitoring techniques such as in-hospital monitoring, electrocardiography or traditional ambulatory cardiac monitors.
However, Medtronic’s latest Reveal LINQ ICM with TruRhythm Detection can automatically and continuously detect and record abnormal heart rhythms for up to three years. The company received U.S. FDA 510(k) clearance for this particular device earlier this year. The ICM device is inserted using a minimally invasive procedure and its presence is often nearly undetectable to the naked eye. The device communicates wirelessly with a patient’s bedside monitor that uploads device data to the Medtronic CareLink network.
Medtronic PLC Price
Medtronic PLC Price | Medtronic PLC Quote
In details, REVEAL AF is a prospective study for evaluating the incidence of AF that lasted six minutes or more in high-risk patients who were previously undiagnosed with AF. The study found that continuous monitoring with either the Reveal XT ICM or the Reveal LINQ ICM resulted in an AF detection rate of 29.3% among previously undiagnosed high-risk patients. The Reveal AF study also evaluated how physicians managed patients when AF was found. More than half of the patients detected with AF were prescribed oral anticoagulation by their physicians, which have been shown to significantly reduce the risk of a stroke. This suggests that the information provided by the Reveal ICM was clinically meaningful.
As per a report by GlobalData, the global heart failure market is set to reach a worth of $11.8 billion by 2025, at a CAGR of 13.7%. Over more than a year, a gradually stabilizing trend is being observed in the global heart failure market, given the huge and growing market for minimally invasive procedures.
Zacks Rank & Key Picks
Medtronic carries a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold). Better-ranked stocks in the broader medical sector are Luminex Corporation LMNX, Hologic, Inc. HOLX and Sunshine Heart Inc SSH. Notably, Hologic and Luminex sport a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy), while Sunshine Heart carries a Zacks Rank #2 (Buy). You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank stocks here.
Luminex has an expected long-term adjusted earnings growth of almost 16.3%. The stock added roughly 15.4% over the last three months.
Hologic has a long-term expected earnings growth rate of 11.33%. The stock has a solid one-year return of roughly 25%.
Sunshine Heart recorded a stellar EPS growth rate of almost 22% (last 3–5 years of actual earnings).
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