Resynchronization Therapy for Chronic Heart Failure

During the last decade, cardiac resynchronization, as adjunctive therapy for patients with severe chronic heart failure has been the subject of many clinical trials. From its inception, although the idea of resynchronization had numerous supporters, chiefly those involved in pacing, while there were also a hardly insignificant number of skeptics.

The first encouraging results of cardiac resynchronization therapy (CRT) application were supported in studies that evaluated the hemodynamic benefits. A number of studies followed which examined results in exercise tolerance, quality of life and mortality. These study results showed that in a specific subgroup of patients with heart failure, CRT is an efficacious and beneficial therapy. However, these studies had weak points, mainly perhaps that they were not blinded. Thus, the benefits may be partly due to the closer monitoring of patients with the device. Additionally, a number of issues remain controversial, including the role of CRT in heart failure patients with narrow QRS, in patients with atrial fibrillation or right ventricular failure, as well as the ideal method of patient selection. The latter is particularly significant, as the cost of the therapy is quite high. Although the QRS duration was one of the inclusion criteria in most of the studies, the evidence suggests that inordinate contraction of the left ventricle is an essential for a favourable response. Therefore, for the moment, the progress from study results to clinical practice will have to be undertaken very carefully, to ensure that the patient will indeed benefit.

Media Contact

Gina Dellios alfa

All latest news from the category: Health and Medicine

This subject area encompasses research and studies in the field of human medicine.

Among the wide-ranging list of topics covered here are anesthesiology, anatomy, surgery, human genetics, hygiene and environmental medicine, internal medicine, neurology, pharmacology, physiology, urology and dental medicine.

Back to home

Comments (0)

Write a comment

Newest articles

Results for control of pollutants in water

Brazilian scientists tested a simple and sustainable method for monitoring and degrading a mixture of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, compounds present in fossil fuels and industrial waste. An article published in the journal Catalysis…

A tandem approach for better solar cells

Perovskite-based solar cells were first proved in 2009 to have excellent light-absorbing properties of methylammonium lead bromide and methylammonium lead iodide, collectively referred to as lead halide perovskites or, more…

The behavior of ant queens is shaped by their social environment

Specialization of ant queens as mere egg-layers is reversible / Queen behavioral specialization is initiated and maintained by the presence of workers. The queens in colonies of social insects, such…

Partners & Sponsors