Search

Aim:Gender related differences in epidemiology, treatment, and prognosis of heart failure (HF) have been reported. We examined the sex influence in patients treated with cardiac resynchronization therapy (CRT). Methods and Results:Out of 334 consecutive HF patients (19.7% women) who underwent CRT, 195 patients reached clinical and echocardiographic evaluation at six and 12 months and were selected for analysis. A reduction in left ventricular (LV) end-diastolic volume/m(2) (EDVi) and end systolic volume/m(2) (ESVi) was evident in the overall population at six months (P < 0.001) and from six to 12 months (P < 0.001). Compared to men, women showed significantly greater changes in LV volumes at mid (P < 0.05) and long-term (P < 0.001) follow-up and a significantly higher LV ejection fraction (EF) (40.8 +/- 12.3 vs 34.1 +/- 10.1, P < 0.01) at one year. Multiple regression analysis, including several demographic and clinical parameters, revealed that female gender is independently associated with greater reduction in LV ESVi. At the 12-month follow-up, the proportion of responders (defined in terms of ESV reduction by at least 10%) was higher in women than in men (76.1% vs 59.3%, P < 0.05). Conclusions:CRT induced a gender specific LV remodeling response. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An abstract of the study "Combined Ultrasound and ECG Selection Criteria Increase the Proportion of Responders to Cardiac Resynchronization Therapy," by D. Pontillo and colleagues is presented.

Background: The aim of this study was to evaluate the ability of baseline clinical and echocardiographic parameters to predict a positive response to CRT. Methods: We analyzed 6-month data from the first 133 consecutive patients enrolled in a multicenter prospective study. These patients had symptomatic heart failure (HF) refractory to pharmacological therapy (NYHA class II-IV), left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) <=35%, and prespecified electrocardiographic, echocardiographic or tissue Doppler imaging markers of left ventricular (LV) dyssynchrony. Results: After a follow-up period of 6 months, 1 patient died and 13 were hospitalized for worsening HF. There were significant (P < 0.01) clinical, functional, and echocardiographic improvements that included: New York heart Association Class, Quality-of-Life Score, QRS duration, LVEF, LV end-diastolic and end-systolic diameter (LVESD), and severity of mitral regurgitation A positive response was documented in 90/133 (68%) patients who presented an improved clinical composite score associated to an increase in LVEF >= 5 units. A multivariate analysis identified that a smaller LVESD (OR = 0.957, 95% CI 0.920-0.996; P = 0.030) and longer interventricular mechanical delay (IVMD) (OR = 1.017, 95% CI 1.005-1.029, P = 0.007) as independent predictors of a positive response. Receiver-operating curve analysis showed that a positive response to CRT may be predicted in patients with IVMD > 44 ms (with a sensitivity of 66% and a specificity of 55%) or with LVESD < 60 mm (with a sensitivity of 66% and a specificity of 61%). Conclusions: Our results confirm the limited value of QRS duration in the selection of patients for CRT. A less-advanced stage of disease and echocardiographic evidence of interventricular dyssynchrony demonstrated to predict response to CRT, while intraventricular dyssynchrony did not predict response. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An abstract of the study "Objective Daily Measurements of Patient Activity Confirm the Role of Cardiac Resynchronization Therapy in Improving Functional Status of Patients With Advanced Heart Failure," by M. Bocchiardo and colleagues is presented.

An abstract of the article "Selection of Candidates for Cardiac Resynchronization Therapy (SCART): Study Design and Preliminary Results" by C. Peraldo and colleagues is presented.