title: The importance of increased percentage of biventricular pacing to improve clinical outcomes in patients receiving cardiac resynchronization therapy.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To describe the growing evidence that a maximal biventricular pacing is needed to gain the maximal benefits from cardiac resynchronization therapy (CRT).
  
  
  RESULTS
  Even small gains in the biventricular (BIV) pacing percentage are clinically important both to prevent acute heart failure and, more importantly, to improve survival.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Every effort should be made in all patients receiving CRT to approach 100% BIV pacing by a correct device programming, a correct pharmacologic regimen and atrioventricular nodal ablation in atrial fibrillation patients.
authors.affiliation: Humanitas Clinical and Research Center, Rozzano, Milano, Italy. maurizio.gasparini@humanitas.it
authors.forename: Maurizio
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Gasparini
authors.forename: Paola
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Galimberti
authors.forename: Carlo
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Ceriotti
mesh_terms: D001281:Atrial Fibrillation / Q000209:etiology / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000628:therapy*; D001283:Atrioventricular Node / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000601:surgery; D058406:Cardiac Resynchronization Therapy / Q000379:methods / Q000592:standards; D058409:Cardiac Resynchronization Therapy Devices / Q000592:standards*; D017115:Catheter Ablation / Q000379:methods*; D006333:Heart Failure / Q000150:complications / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000628:therapy*; D006801:Humans; D010043:Outcome and Process Assessment, Health Care; D016019:Survival Analysis; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D020257:Ventricular Remodeling