Cardiopulmonary nerve stimulation as a novel therapy for cardiac autonomic nervous system modulation

Acute decompensated heart failure (ADHF) carries a significant burden of mortality and morbidity, 30 with few effective treatments available. Cardiopulmonary nerve stimulation (CPNS), which involves targeted electrical stimulation of specific nerves that innervate the heart, is an innovative emerging therapeutic ADHF management strategy. In a recent study, Emani et al. used the CPNS using a low-level stimulation which enhanced cardiac inotropy, decreased energy consumption, and improved patients’ symptoms, function, and quality of life. The mechanism of action of CPNS that drove these promising results was not described by Emani et al. This commentary aims to explore the mechanisms of CPNS, focusing on its neuromodulatory effects on the cardiac autonomic nervous system (CANS) and its potential to revolutionize ADHF therapy.