Heart Patients Sweat Out Fluid in New Treatment Trial

Richard Brunson sits wrapped in a high-tech sweatsuit at Rochester General Hospital, sweating like he's on a beach in 116-degree heat. But this isn't a strange workout routine—it's a breakthrough treatment that could change how doctors help heart failure patients.

Rochester General is testing a new therapy that makes chronic heart failure patients sweat out excess fluid instead of relying only on diuretics. The treatment, recently approved in Israel and developed by AquaPass, uses a heat-adjustable suit that patients wear for a few hours at a time.

For people with chronic heart failure, fluid buildup is a constant battle. Poor blood circulation causes water retention, and until now, diuretic pills or IV injections were the only option for removing that fluid.

Brunson knows that struggle well. "You're peeing all day long, and it gets frustrating," he said during his first trial session.

The sweatsuit offers a gentler alternative. Nurses monitor patients' vitals while they relax in the heated gear, and the body does the rest naturally through the skin.

Dr. Scott Feitell, director of heart failure at Rochester General, explains why this matters. "Unfortunately, diuretics either don't work acutely or don't work over a period of time in different patients," he said. Some even develop diuretic resistance, and the medications can damage the kidneys over time.

The new approach sidesteps those problems entirely. "Traditionally, with heart failure, the only way to remove fluid is through the kidneys," Feitell said. "This suit really uses the skin kind of like an extra organ to remove volume."

Why This Inspires

This trial represents something powerful: medical innovation that prioritizes patient comfort without sacrificing effectiveness. Heart failure affects millions of Americans who face daily medication routines with frustrating side effects. A treatment that lets patients sit comfortably while their bodies naturally release fluid could transform quality of life.

The technology also shows how thinking differently about common medical challenges can unlock new solutions. Instead of pushing harder on existing approaches, researchers looked at the body's natural cooling system and found an entirely new pathway.

The trial is still enrolling participants and should wrap up by summer's end, bringing answers that could help countless patients breathe easier—literally and figuratively.