Millions of people suffer from heart failure every year.

For many people, if drugs don’t work, the only option left is a heart transplant. Now, a new device is breathing life into the failing mind.

One in 20 adults has heart disease, and one person dies from heart disease every 33 seconds. It is the leading cause of death for both men and women.

“If the heart muscle is weak, death can occur from progressive myocardial dysfunction or sudden death,” said cardiologist Richard Jantz.

Treatments include medications, stents, bypass surgery, and pacemakers. But now there’s a new way to keep your heart beating.

“Barostim is a new approach to modulating the autonomic nervous system,” Janz said.

In conjunction with heart failure medications, Jantz implants the Barostim device just under the skin.

“It stimulates the carotid sinuses and tends to regulate adrenaline levels and vagal tone,” Janz said.

Baroreceptors are responsible for telling the nervous system how to regulate the function of the heart, kidneys, and blood vessels. By activating the proper regulation of these functions, the load on the heart is reduced and its pumping ability is increased more effectively.

“It not only improves quality of life and functional capacity, reduces the risk of hospitalization, but also increases the likelihood of not needing a heart transplant or ventricular assist device,” Janz said.

Barostim treatment is an outpatient procedure and is FDA approved. New research is currently being conducted to implant wires without making an incision.