Researchers said a UK-wide trial of the device and medication combination has found it is safe and effective to use, and can allow patients to return home from hospital days earlier than would normally be expected.
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.
However, researchers have reported positive results from trials using a new wearable mini-pump – similar to wearable devices used for diabetes treatment – to administer the furosemide medication.
Researchers recruited 172 heart-failure patients to the University of Glasgow-led SUBCUT HF II trial.
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.
Professor Mark Petrie, professor of cardiology at the University of Glasgow and co-lead author of the study, said: “The results of SUBCUT HF II 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.”
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.
Stephen Allan, 65, from Clarkston, East Renfrewshire, was one of those who took part in the trial.
Mr Allan was diagnosed with heart failure in 2015 and treatment has included taking a number of medications and having a pacemaker fitted.
He was admitted to hospital with significant fluid retention in 2024 and was one of those invited to trial the new device and drug treatment method.
Mr Allan 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.”
Researchers suggest the new treatment option could help reduce pressure on hospitals by reducing the need for lengthy inpatient stays.
Dr Ross Campbell, clinical senior lecturer at the University of Glasgow and consultant cardiologist at the Queen Elizabeth University Hospital, co-lead author of the study, said: “This study has shown that we can successfully and safely manage patients with heart failure in their own home and, moreover, that patients are able to administer treatment themselves.”
He added: “The study was delivered by a key partnership between the NHS and the University of Glasgow alongside industry and has shown how effective this new treatment can be for heart failure in a real-world clinical setting.”
The results of the trial were presented at Heart Failure 2026, the annual congress of the Heart Failure Association (HFA) of the European Society of Cardiology (ESC), in Barcelona, Spain, at the weekend.