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For many years, cardiac pacing has been based on the stimulation of right ventricular common myocardium to correct diseases of the conduction system. The birth and the development of cardiac resynchronization have led to growing interest in the correction and prevention of pacing-induced dyssynchrony. Many observational studies and some randomized clinical trials have shown that conduction system pacing (CSP) can not only prevent pacing-induced dyssynchrony but can also correct proximal conduction system blocks, with reduction of QRS duration and with equal or greater effectiveness than biventricular pacing. Based on these results, many Italian electrophysiologists have changed the stimulation target from the right ventricular common myocardium to CSP. The two techniques with greater clinical impact are the His bundle stimulation and the left bundle branch pacing. The latter, in particular, because of its easier implantation technique and better electric parameters, is spreading like wildfire and is representing a real revolution in the cardiac pacing field. However, despite the growing amount of data, until now, the European Society of Cardiology guidelines give a very limited role to CSP.

Aims: This study aims to survey current educational experience and the individual requirements for electrophysiologists in training., Methods and Results: The European Heart Rhythm Association (EHRA) e-Communication Committee and the Scientific Initiatives Committee prepared a questionnaire and distributed it via newsletters, Twitter, LinkedIn, and Facebook. The survey consisted of 22 questions collected on an individual basis anonymously. Two hundred and forty-three responders from 35 countries (32% female, age 38 ± 6 years old) completed the survey. This EHRA electrophysiology (EP) fellowship survey showed that (i) hands-on participation and observation of EP procedures are very important; (ii) the main motivations to choose the EP fellowship institution are centre reputation and volume as well as the availability of a structured EP fellowship programme; (iii) 59% passed the EHRA exam and 46% took a national certification exam; (iv) respondents are overall satisfied with their own fellowships, but there are areas of less confidence such as conduction system pacing implantation and cardiac resynchronization therapy implantation; (v) 78% of respondents performed research during their fellowship, (vi) the optimal duration of an EP fellowship should be at least 2 years; and (viii) doing fellowships abroad is beneficial, but significant obstacles exist., Conclusion: The results of this EHRA survey may help to refine current EP fellowship programmes to improve the quality of EP training and early career building of young electrophysiologists., Competing Interests: Conflict of interest: Maastricht University received lecture honorary on behalf of D.L. from Astra Zeneca, Bayer, Biotronik, iRhythm, Novo Nordisk, Biosense Webster, Medtronic, and Zoll. D.D. received lecture honorary from Abbott, Astra Zeneca, Bayer, Biotronik, Boehringer Ingelheim, Boston Scientific, Bristol Myers Squibb, CVRx, Medtronic, Microport, Pfizer, and Zoll. All remaining authors have declared no conflicts of interest., (© The Author(s) 2023. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the European Society of Cardiology.)

Background: Cardiac resynchronization therapy (CRT) reduces mortality and hospitalizations. It is debated whether CRT alone (CRT-P) or CRT plus defibrillator (CRT-D) is preferable, and still guidelines are not exhaustive. The aim of the study was to investigate whether to implant CRT-P or CRT-D in CRT-D patients who did not experience malignant arrhythmias at the moment of replacement., Methods: Out of 451 heart failure patients undergoing CRT-D according to guidelines, 103 (67±10 years, 80% men) underwent device replacement with CRT-D. Every 6 months patients underwent to clinical evaluation and device interrogation and episodes of ventricular arrhythmias (VA) stored. At baseline and before replacement echocardiogram was performed. Patients were defined responders if left ventricular (LV) end-systolic volume decreased ≥15% and super-responders if LV ejection fraction increased ≥40% or ≥50%., Results: Mean follow-up was 75±24 months after implantation and 26±10 months after replacement. First VAs incidence per year did not decrease over time (P=0.619). Before replacement, 27 patients (26.2%, 15 responders/12 non-responders) experienced VA. After replacement, 8 patients (7.7%, 4 responders/4 non-responders) experienced VA for the first time. Super-responder condition was not associated with lower VA incidence before (0.499) and after (P=0.339) replacement. At multivariate analysis, age was the only independent predictor of electrical appropriate therapy after substitution (ORper year=1.17; 95% CI: 1.03-1.34; P=0.003)., Conclusions: Freedom from VA before device replacement does not correlate with freedom from VA after replacement, so downgrade from CRT-D to CRT-P is not feasible at replacement, in particular in the elderlies, independently of responder and super-responder condition.

Cardiac resynchronization therapy (CRT) is an established treatment of patients with medically refractory, mild-to-severe systolic heart failure (HF), impaired left ventricular function, and wide QRS complex. The pathologic activation sequence observed in patients with abnormal QRS duration and morphology results in a dyssynchronous ventricular activation and contraction leading to cardiac remodeling, worsening systolic and diastolic function, and progressive HF. In this article, the authors aim to explore the current CRT literature, focusing their attentions on the promising innovation in this field., Competing Interests: Conflicts of interests The authors declare no conflicts of interest., (Copyright © 2021 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Cardiac resynchronization therapy (CRT) was proposed around 20 years ago, and its clinical use rapidly moved from pioneering experiences to randomized controlled trials (RCT). Since 2002 recommendations for CRT have been included in international consensus guidelines that even in an early phase recommended CRT as an effective treatment for improving symptoms, reducing hospitalizations and mortality in well-selected patients with wide QRS, left ventricular dysfunction and moderate to severe heart failure (NYHA classes III-IV), on optimal medical therapy. Subsequently the indications were extended to mild (NYHA class II) heart failure (associated with left ventricular dysfunction and wide QRS) and more recently also to appropriately selected patients with conventional indications for pacing having a left ventricular ejection fraction of 50% or less and NYHA class I-III. While all the guidelines strongly recommend CRT in case of LBBB with QRS duration >150 ms, lower strength of recommendations, with some heterogeneity, appears when QRS duration is 130-150 ms, especially if not associated with LBBB. Of note, according to recent guidelines, CRT is not recommended in case of QRS duration <130 ms, which is now the lower limit for candidacy to CRT, differently from the 120 ms limit used before. Despite consensus guidelines, many data indicate that CRT is still underused, with great heterogeneity in its implementation, both in North America and Europe, thus requiring a more organized patient referral., (Copyright © 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Cardiac resynchronization therapy (CRT) is included in international consensus guidelines as a treatment with proven efficacy in well-selected patients on top of optimal medical therapy. Although all the guidelines strongly recommend CRT for LBBB with QRS duration greater than 150 milliseconds, lower strength of recommendation is reported for QRS duration of 120 to 150 milliseconds, especially if not associated with LBBB. CRT is not recommended for a QRS of less than 120 milliseconds. No indication emerges for guiding the implant based on echocardiographic evaluation of dyssynchrony. Many data indicate that CRT is underused and there is heterogeneity in its implementation., (Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Background: Many trials demonstrated the beneficial effects on hospitalizations and mortality of cardiac resynchronization therapy (CRT). The purpose of this study was to evaluate CRT effects on functional performance and cognition, two determinants of disability, frailty development and survival., Methods: All consecutive patients receiving a CRT device were evaluated at baseline and at the 6-month follow-up. Functional profile was assessed with the Short Physical Performance Battery (SPPB), a measure exploring balance, gait, strength and endurance, highly predictive of incident disability and mortality. The Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) was used to study the cognitive profile., Results: We enrolled 54 patients; two of them died during the follow-up, two refused to continue the study. Age was 67±10years (men: 80%, LVEF: 28±5%); medical therapy was optimized (ACE-I/ARB: 84%, beta-blockers: 80%). After 6months, CRT was associated with the improvement of LVEF (35±8 vs. 28±5%, p<0.001) and NYHA Class (1.8±0.6 vs. 2.6±0.5, p<0.001), and with the reduction of left ventricular end-systolic diameter (50±9 vs. 57±9mm, p<0.001). SPPB improved in its total score (10.3±2.0 vs. 9.1±2.7, p<0.001) and in the scores exploring gait speed and strength and endurance. These changes were associated with a better cognitive profile (MMSE score: 27.0±3.5 vs. 25.9±4.8, p=0.009). Advanced age was an independent predictor of improved functional performance and cognition., Conclusions: CRT is associated with higher functional and cognitive profile after only 6months of therapy. These findings let us hypothesize a powerful effect of treatment to slow disability and frailty development in heart failure., (Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Background: Cardiac resynchronization therapy (CRT) nonresponse remains a major clinical problem. Autoantibodies specific for the β1-adrenergic (β1-AAbs) and muscarinic (M2-AAbs) receptors are found in patients with chronic heart failure (HF) of various etiologies., Materials and Methods: We retrospectively analyzed 73 HF patients (median age 67 years, 84% males, New York Heart Association II-IV, in sinus rhythm, left ventricular ejection fraction <35%) who received CRT defibrillator (CRT-D) from 2010 to 2013. β1-AAbs and M2-AAbs were measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Echocardiography was used to assess CRT response (reduction >15% in left ventricular end-systolic volume at 6 months follow-up). Renal function (RF) parameters (creatinine [Cr], blood urea nitrogen [BUN], estimated glomerular filtration rate [eGFR Modified Diet in Renal Disease], cystatin C [Cys-C], and neutrophil gelatinase-associated lipocalin [NGAL]) were also evaluated., Results: A significantly higher percentage of patients positive for β1-AAbs (OD sample/OD reference ratio >2.1) in nonresponders than in responder patients was observed (57% vs 27%, P = 0.004). No influence of M2-AAbs on CRT-D response was demonstrated. β1-AAbs were predictive of a poor CRT-D response (odds ratio [OR] [95% confidence interval (CI)] 3.64 [1.49-8.88], P = 0.005), also after adjustment for RF parameters (OR [95% CI] 4.95 [1.51-16.26], P = 0.008) observed to influence CRT-D response (Cr P = 0.03, BUN P = 0.009, Cys-C P = 0.02). The positive rates of β1-AABs in patients with abnormal blood level of Cr, eGFR, Cys-C, and NGAL were significantly higher than those with normal levels (P = 0.03, P = 0.02, P = 0.001, P = 0.007, respectively)., Conclusions: Our study suggests that (1) the evaluation of β1-AAb is useful to identify responders to CRT-D; (2) the presence of β1-AAbs is in relationship with elevated renal function parameters., (©2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.)

Cardiac resynchronization therapy (CRT) is included in international consensus guidelines as a treatment with proven efficacy in well-selected patients on top of optimal medical therapy. Although all the guidelines strongly recommend CRT for LBBB with QRS duration greater than 150 milliseconds, lower strength of recommendation is reported for QRS duration of 120 to 150 milliseconds, especially if not associated with LBBB. CRT is not recommended for a QRS of less than 120 milliseconds. No indication emerges for guiding the implant based on echocardiographic evaluation of dyssynchrony. Many data indicate that CRT is underused and there is heterogeneity in its implementation., (Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Introduction: "Cardiac memory" (CM) refers to a change in repolarization induced by an altered pathway of activation, manifested after resumption of spontaneous ventricular activation (SVA)., Aims: To investigate for the first time in humans the effects of left ventricular (LV) pacing on CM development through vectorcardiography (VCG)., Methods: We studied 28 patients with heart failure (HF) and left bundle branch block (LBBB) treated with cardiac resynchronization therapy (CRT). Fourteen patients underwent biventricular (BIV) stimulation; the other 14 underwent LV stimulation only. VCG was acquired during SVA at baseline and during AAI and DDD pacing immediately after and 7 and 90 days after the implant., Results: At baseline, in both groups, the QRS and T vectors angles were those specific of LBBB pattern. During DDD pacing, QRS vector angle changed to the right and upward in BIV patients while no significant differences were observed in LV patients. During AAI pacing, T vector angle changed significantly in BIV patients, following the direction of the paced QRS and amplitude significantly increased. In LV patients no significant differences in T vector angles were observed. Only T vector amplitude significantly increased at 7 days (p=0.03) and at 90 days (p=0.008 vs baseline)., Conclusion: In patients with LBBB, BIV pacing induces cardiac memory development as a significant change in T vector magnitude and angle, while LV pacing doesn't induce significant modifications in QRS and T vector angles and CM is manifested only as a significant T vector amplitude change., (Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)