Cardiac Resynchronization Therapy

eart failure is the commonest cardiovascular disease that causes high morbidity and mortality. In a selected group of patients with evidence of electrical dyssynchrony, cardiac resynchronization therapy plus defibrillator backup (CRT-D) was established as an important adjunctive therapy. Numerous landmark trials demonstrated that such therapy improved clinical symptoms and quality of life, reduced heart failure hospitalization and reduced mortality.1 In view of these beneficial results, CRT-D was classified as a Class I indication in both American2 and European3 heart failure device therapy guidelines. However, most of the studies focused mainly on Western populations and it is interesting to know if CRT has a similar beneficial effect in Asian populations.