OBJECTIVES: To investigate the association between diastolic function and the different beneficial effects of cardiac resynchronization therapy in patients with heart failure due to different causes. METHODS: The 104 enrolled patients were divided into an ischemic cardiomyopathy group (n=27) and a non-ischemic cardiomyopathy group (n=77) according to the cause of heart failure. Before implant...

Cardiac dyssynchrony refers to disparity in cardiac wall motion, a serious consequence of myocardial infarction associated with poor outcome. Infarct-induced scar is refractory to device-based cardiac resynchronization therapy, which relies on viable tissue. Leveraging the prospect of structural and functional regeneration, reparative resynchronization has emerged as a potentially achievable st...

INTRODUCTION AND OBJECTIVES A cross-sectional study of cardiac resynchronization therapy use in Spain was performed to analyze problems with indications, implantation, and patient follow-up. METHODS Spanish cardiac resynchronization therapy implanter centers were identified, then the department members were surveyed and the data were recorded by each implantation team. RESULTS Eighty-eight ...

Cardiac resynchronization defibrillators have been demonstrated to reduce both mortality and heart failure in patients with significant ventricular dysfunction and widened QRS. The influence of cardiac resynchronization therapy (CRT) on ventricular arrhythmias, however, is less certain. A systematic review of randomized controlled trials of more advanced heart failure populations with New York ...

BACKGROUND Cardiac transplantation remains the gold standard for treating end-stage heart failure. However, because of donor shortage and posttransplant complications alternative options are needed. METHODS We investigated the impact of cardiac resynchronization therapy on clinical outcome in 545 patients with left bundle-branch block and interventricular asynchrony, who fulfilled the cardiac...

Cardiac resynchronization therapy is an established treatment modality in heart failure. Though non-response is a serious issue. To address this issue, a good understanding of the electrical activation during underlying intrinsic ventricular activation, biventricular as well as right- and left ventricular pacing is needed. By interpreting the 12-lead electrocardiogram, possible reasons for subo...

BACKGROUND Although the benefits of cardiac resynchronization therapy are well established in selected patients with heart failure and a prolonged QRS duration, salutary effects in patients with narrow QRS complexes remain to be demonstrated. METHODS AND RESULTS The Evaluation of Resynchronization Therapy for Heart Failure (LESSER-EARTH) trial is a randomized, double-blind, 12-center study th...

Cardiac resynchronization therapy is an established treatment modality in heart failure. Though non-response is a serious issue. To address this issue, a good understanding of the electrical activation during left bundle branch block, biventricular, as well as right- and left ventricular pacing is needed. This way by interpreting the 12-lead electrocardiogram, possible reasons for suboptimal tr...

Cardiac resynchronization therapy (CRT) addresses abnormal left ventricular (LV) activation that produces detrimental effects on cardiac systolic and diastolic function. CRT improves symptoms and ventricular performance, promotes reverse remodeling, and decreases mortality and hospitalization in patients with congestive heart failure (CHF). Atrial-synchronized biventricular stimulation reverses...

According to the 2013 update on heart disease statistics from American Heart Association, an estimated 5.1 million Americans ≥20 years of age have a diagnosis of heart failure. In the year 2009, heart failure was noted to be the primary cause of death in >56 000 people and contributed to death of >274 000 people. It is one of the most common causes of hospitalization in patients ≥65 years of ag...