BACKGROUND Left ventricular (LV) mechanical discoordination, often referred to as dyssynchrony, is often observed in patients with heart failure regardless of QRS duration. We hypothesized that different myocardial substrates for LV mechanical discoordination exist from (1) electromechanical activation delay, (2) regional differences in contractility, or (3) regional scar and that we could diff...

Background In clinical patients undergoing cardiac resynchronization therapy (CRT), myocardial properties (mechanical, electrical, and scar-mediated) at the left ventricular (LV) lead position (LVLP) and overall LV dyssynchrony (circumferential uniformity ratio estimate [CURE, 0-1]) are of interest with respect to CRT outcomes. We sought to define the relative importance of these factors for CR...

PURPOSE The neutrophil-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) has been suggested as an inflammation-related factor, but also as an indicator of systemic anti-tumor immunity. We aimed to evaluate the prognostic value of the NLR and to propose a proper cut-off value in patients with locally advanced rectal cancer who received preoperative chemoradiation (CRT) followed by curative total mesorectal excision (TME)....

BACKGROUND Cardiac resynchronization therapy (CRT) has been demonstrated to reduce morbidity and mortality in patients with advanced, drug-refractory heart failure. Procedure-related mortality is less than 1% in larger studies. Approximately10% of CRT patients have to undergo surgical revision because of infections, dislocations, or unacceptable electrical behavior manifested as high threshold,...

In the present study, three chromium resistant bacterial strains (CrT-1, CrT-2, CrT-3) which could resist veryhigh concentration of K2CrO4 (up to 40 mg ml-1 on nutrient agar plates and 10 mg ml-1 in acetate-minimalmedium) were used to inoculate the sunflower seeds both as control and under chromium stress. Cr(VI)caused severe reduction in different growth parameters (seedling ...

BACKGROUND Right ventricular function (RVF) is an important determinant of outcome in patients with heart failure, and those with severe RV dysfunction have worse outcome after cardiac resynchronization therapy (CRT). We used data from the Multicenter Automatic Defibrillator Implantation Trial with Cardiac Resynchronization Therapy (MADIT-CRT) Trial to determine whether therapy with CRT is infl...

OBJECTIVES The aim of this study was to systematically review the medical literature to evaluate the impact of AV nodal ablation in patients with heart failure and coexistent atrial fibrillation (AF) receiving cardiac resynchronization therapy (CRT). BACKGROUND CRT has a substantial evidence base in patients in sinus rhythm with significant systolic dysfunction, symptomatic heart failure, and...

Despite the growing evidence supporting the use of biventricular cardiac resynchronization therapy (CRT) in patients with chronic heart failure (CHF), the mechanisms whereby acute hemodynamic improvements lead to improved exertional dyspnea are not precisely known. We hypothesized that improved cardiac function and ventilation-perfusion relations following CRT would reduce ventilatory demand, t...

BACKGROUND Whether adding cardiac resynchronization therapy (CRT-D) to an implanted cardioverter-defibrillator alters the risk of atrial fibrillation or other atrial tachyarrhythmias (AF/AT), or if postimplantation AF/AT modulate the benefits of CRT-D, remain unknown. METHODS AND RESULTS We studied 972 Resynchronization/Defibrillation in Ambulatory Heart Failure Trial (RAFT) participants with...