A WOMAN from York, who lives with a pacemaker, has backed research from the University of Leeds which will look into benefits of personalised programming for the devices.

The researchers at the University of Leeds, funded by the British Heart Foundation (BHF), will investigate how people living with heart failure can benefit from personalised pacemaker programming.

Anne Dixon, 67, had a heart attack in 2011 and was diagnosed with heart failure two years later.

Anne, from York, now lives with a pacemaker and said she has experienced “several benefits” after her device received personalised programming.

Anne, who has three grown-up children, said: “Now, I’m able to do so much more than I could before. When I go to the gym, I’m able to exercise longer. I’m also a fan of hill walking and used to struggle to walk a mile. I find now that I can go even further without getting out of breath.

“I’m delighted that the BHF is funding more research to understand the true benefits of personalised programming - as it could really help patients like me in the future.”

Researchers at the university have discovered that by personalising the heart rate to the patient, they can improve how well people can exercise.

To do this, an ultrasound of the heart is carried out to identify the heart rate at which the pumping function is most effective, and the device is then programmed so that it increases to this rate when the patient exercises.

The BHF has now awarded almost £260,000 for a new trial to assess how this approach improves function of the heart and exercise capacity. The trial will involve around 100 patients who will be randomly allocated.