Mended Hearts meeting scheduled

LEWISTON — “LifeVest” will be the topic of discussion at the February 10 meeting of Mended Hearts at the Central Maine Heart and Vascular Institute in Lewiston.

LifeVest is a wearable defibrillator for treating sudden cardiac arrest. It offers patients advanced protection and monitoring as well as improved quality of life.

Unlike an implantable cardioverter defibrillator (ICD), LifeVest is worn outside the body rather than implanted in the chest. The device monitors the patient's heart with dry, non-adhesive sensing electrodes to detect life-threatening abnormal heart rhythms. If a life-threatening rhythm is detected, the device alerts the patient prior to delivering a treatment shock, thus allowing a conscious patient to disarm the treatment shock. If the patient is unconscious, the device releases a gel over the therapy electrodes and delivers an electrical shock to restore normal rhythm.

Mended Hearts, a national nonprofit organization affiliated with the American Heart Association, provides support to patients who have been impacted by heart disease.

The group meets on the second Thursday of every month at 5 p.m. in the Central Maine Heart and Vascular Institute’s first-floor Young Wing Conference Room, located at 60 High Street in Lewiston.

Anyone seeking more information should contact Cheryl Strout at 795-8225.