Cardiac resynchronization therapy: effects on left and right ventricular ejection fraction during exercise.
In patients with heart failure and wide QRS complex, cardiac resynchronization therapy (CRT) is associated with improvement of symptoms and cardiac function. This study examined the effects of a 3-month period of CRT on left ventricular (LV) and right ventricular (RV) ejection fraction (EF) and on LV volumes, both at rest and during exercise. A CRT system was implanted in 15 patients with severe heart failure and wide QRS. Before implant and 3 months later, all patients underwent assessment of cardiac performance with equilibrium Tc(99) radionuclide angiography with imaging in the best septal left anterior oblique view. Exercise was performed on a bicycle ergometer. At 3 months, a significant improvement in New York Heart Association functional class was observed, and radionuclide angiography showed a significant decrease in LV volumes and a significant increase in LVEF at rest, as well as a significant increase in LVEF during exercise. The remodeling processes associated with CRT did not appear to include RV function, since RVEF did not improve, and changes in RVEF did not correlate with changes in LVEF, neither at rest nor during exercise.
Boriani
Giuseppe
G
Institute of Cardiology, University of Bologna. Bologna, Italy. cardio1@med.unibo.it
Fallani
Francesco
F
Martignani
Cristian
C
Biffi
Mauro
M
Saporito
Davide
D
Greco
Cristiano
C
Ziacchi
Matteo
M
Levorato
Maurizio
M
Pontone
Giulia
G
Valzania
Cinzia
C
Diemberger
Igor
I
Franchi
Roberto
R
Branzi
Angelo
A
D002304:Cardiac Pacing, Artificial; D005080:Exercise Test; D005260:Female; D006333:Heart Failure / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000503:physiopathology* / Q000628:therapy*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015635:Radionuclide Ventriculography; D013318:Stroke Volume