Left ventricular dyssynchrony predicts benefit of cardiac resynchronization therapy in patients with end-stage heart failure before pacemaker implantation.
We evaluated patients with end-stage heart failure who have a high likelihood of response to cardiac resynchronization therapy (biventricular pacing). It appears that 20% of patients do not respond to this expensive therapy despite the use of selection criteria (dilated cardiomyopathy, heart failure, New York Heart Association class II or IV, left ventricular ejection fraction <35%, left bundle branch block, and QRS >120 ms). The presence of left ventricular dyssynchrony is needed to result in improvement after cardiac resynchronization therapy.
Bax
Jeroen J
JJ
Department of Cardiology, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, The Netherlands. jbax@knoware.nl
Marwick
Thomas H
TH
Molhoek
Sander G
SG
Bleeker
Gabe B
GB
van Erven
Lieselot
L
Boersma
Eric
E
Steendijk
Paul
P
van der Wall
Ernst E
EE
Schalij
Martin J
MJ
D000368:Aged; D002304:Cardiac Pacing, Artificial; D005260:Female; D006333:Heart Failure / Q000503:physiopathology* / Q000628:therapy*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D011300:Preoperative Care; D013318:Stroke Volume / Q000502:physiology*; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D018487:Ventricular Dysfunction, Left / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000503:physiopathology*