title: The natural history of long-term cardiac pacing.
abstract: During the past ten years, 504 patients have received one or more pacemakers for complete heart block or other arrhythmia. Of these patients, 306 (61%) are alive. Actuarial analysis shows a steady attrition of 9.4% per year for the first five years, decreasing to 7% per year for the second five years. The overall survival was decreased for patients with congestive heart failure and advanced age and was not affected by the history of Stokes-Adams attacks, initial pulse rate below 50 per minute, or a QRS duration greater than 0.12 second prior to pacing. Cardiac problems were the primary cause of death in 71% of the patients. The natural history of patients with permanent pacemakers depends, more than any other factor, on the function of the left ventricle.
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D001145:Arrhythmias, Cardiac / Q000628:therapy; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006327:Heart Block / Q000628:therapy; D006333:Heart Failure / Q000150:complications; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010138:Pacemaker, Artificial / Q000401:mortality; D011379:Prognosis