STATEN ISLAND, NY--(Marketwired - Nov 25, 2015) - Daxor Corp. (NYSE MKT: DXR) -- A study from the Mayo Clinic by Wayne L. Miller, MD, PhD. and Brian P. Mullan, MD, involved 32 patients admitted for congestive heart failure with a diagnosis of volume overload. The focus of the study was whether peripheral hemoglobin measurements which measure the red blood cell concentration accurately reflect the total red blood cell volume of the patient. Peripheral hemoglobin measurements are commonly used by cardiologists to estimate a patient's red blood cell volume status. Congestive heart failure patients almost uniformly initially have an expanded total blood volume. The authors used the Daxor BVA-100 Blood Volume Analyzer to directly measure the total blood volume of the patients. 

The surprising findings were that while 19 out of 32 patients appeared anemic by the standard tests, when their blood volume was measured, only 4 out of 19 of these patients had a true anemia. Overall 66% of the patients had a red cell volume excess. The authors noted that there was marked heterogeneity with respect to blood volume status in these patients. This study confirmed the previous published study from these authors about the marked variability in such heart failure patients which could only be recognized by direct blood volume measurement. The authors further noted, "These findings also demonstrate that the reliance on peripheral venous hemoglobin concentration can be a misleading index of red blood cell volume and overall intravascular volume status. The excessive use of diuretics in patients who have a pseudo anemia may lead to excessive hemoconcentration and thrombosis."

The authors also noted, "The implications of this data are significant not only in furthering our understanding of the pathophysiology of chronic heart failure but also for determining intervention strategies and patient outcomes. They further noted that "Effective clinical interpretation requires the integration of quantitative blood volume analysis data. The sole reliance on peripheral volume status may contribute to a false perception of the patient's true status which has implications not only for patient outcomes but also for the approach to volume management strategy. Thus, the quantification of red cell and plasma volume in the individual heart failure patient provides a more reliable means to identify differing intravascular volume profiles than can be done by peripheral hemoglobin measurements alone." 

Heart failure patients constitute the greatest medical expense for hospitalized Medicare patients. Between 15 to 30% of such patients are readmitted within 30 days or less to the hospital. Medicare compensates hospitals on the basis of diagnostic related guidelines (DRGs) which means that hospitals receive a fixed cost for a specific condition such as heart failure whether the patient is in the hospital for 3 days or 15 days. There is a significant incentive to discharge patients as soon as possible. In response to the high percentage of readmission of heart failure patients, Medicare, in 2013, instituted new guidelines which penalize hospitals significantly for each patient readmitted within 30 days or less. Dr. Joseph Feldschuh, a cardiologist and the President of Daxor, noted that "Utilizing blood volume measurement during hospitalization and on an outpatient basis after hospitalization may decrease the necessity for repeat hospitalization by the application of more appropriate individualized therapy. The benefits of blood volume measurement in treating heart failure patients and avoiding re-hospitalization may lead to it being employed as a standard of care."

The Mayo Clinic's Cardiology Department is ranked #2 in the annual survey of U.S. hospitals for 2014 - 2015 according to the U.S. News and World Report.

To learn more about Daxor and the BVA-100 Blood Volume Analyzer, please visit www.Daxor.com.