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Cardiac physiologic pacing (CPP), encompassing cardiac resynchronization therapy (CRT) and conduction system pacing (CSP), has emerged as a pacing therapy strategy that may mitigate or prevent the development of heart failure (HF) in patients with ventricular dyssynchrony or pacing-induced cardiomyopathy. This clinical practice guideline is intended to provide guidance on indications for CRT for HF therapy and CPP in patients with pacemaker indications or HF, patient selection, pre-procedure evaluation and preparation, implant procedure management, follow-up evaluation and optimization of CPP response, and use in pediatric populations. Gaps in knowledge, pointing to new directions for future research, are also identified.

Background There are conflicting data regarding the benefit of primary prevention implantable cardioverter-defibrillators (ICDs) in patients with diabetes mellitus and heart failure (HF) with reduced ejection fraction. We aimed to assess the comparative effectiveness of ICD placement in patients with diabetes mellitus and HF with reduced ejection fraction. Methods and Results Data were obtained from the Get With the Guidelines-Health Failure registry, linked with claims from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. We used a Cox proportional hazards model censored at 5 years with propensity score matching. Of the 17 186 patients with HF with reduced ejection fraction from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services claims database (6540 with diabetes mellitus; 38%), 1677 (646 with diabetes mellitus; 39%) received an ICD during their index HF hospitalization or were prescribed an ICD at discharge. Patients with diabetes mellitus and an ICD (n=646), as compared with those without an ICD (n=1031), were more likely to be younger (74 versus 78 years of age) and have coronary artery disease (68% versus 60%). After propensity matching, ICD use among patients with diabetes mellitus, as compared with those without an ICD, was associated with a reduced risk of all-cause mortality at 5 years after HF discharge (54% versus 59%; multivariable hazard ratio, 0.73; 95% CI, 0.64-0.82; P

The editorial discusses the concept of digital twins as virtual representations of the human body, specifically focusing on the heart digital twin for predicting and treating ventricular tachycardia (VT). The study by Waight et al. in Circulation reports the first in-human validation of the heart digital twin in predicting critical substrate abnormalities in scar-mediated VT. The study highlights the potential of digital twins in personalized medicine, but further refinement and validation are needed for routine clinical use. The authors emphasize the importance of incorporating real-time data and advancing imaging and ablation technologies for more accurate predictions and treatment outcomes in VT ablation. [Extracted from the article]

BackgroundWe conducted a prospective multicenter study to assess the prognostic value of combined baseline preimplant plasma levels of the biomarkers cardiac troponin T (TnT) and B-type natriuretic peptide (BNP) among cardiac resynchronization therapy (CRT) with or without defibrillator capability (CRT-D) recipients.MethodsAt CRT-D implant, patients were stratified based on detectable TnT (≥0.01 ng/mL) and elevated BNP (predefined as >440 pg/mL) levels. Patients were classified into three groups: high (both detectable TnT and high BNP), intermediate (either detectable TnT or high BNP), or low (nondetectable TnT and low BNP). Patients were followed for 12 months. Survival curves free from mortality or heart failure hospitalizations (HFH) were assessed. To assess the predictive value of biomarker category, we constructed a multivariate Cox regression model, including the covariates of age, New York Heart Association class, left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF), and QRS duration.ResultsA total of 267 patients (age 66 ± 12 years, males 80%, LVEF 25% ± 8%, ischemic cardiomyopathy 52%, QRSd 155 ± 26 ms) were studied. After 1 year, there were 13 deaths and 25 HFH events. A significant difference in event-free survival among the three groups was observed, with high and intermediate categories having worse survival than low (log-rank test, P < 0.001). In the multivariate model, risk category was a significant predictor of outcome: hazard ratios were 7.34 (95% confidence interval [CI]: 2.48-21.69) and 2.50 (95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.04-6.04) for high-risk and intermediate-risk groups, respectively (P < 0.0001).ConclusionAmong CRT-D recipients, baseline TnT and BNP values alone or in combination provide significant prognostic value for the outcome of mortality or HFH.

BackgroundA significant minority of patients receiving cardiac resynchronization therapy (CRT) remain nonresponsive to this intervention.ObjectiveThis study aimed to determine whether coronary sinus (CS) or baseline peripheral venous (PV) levels of established and emerging heart failure (HF) biomarkers are predictive of CRT outcomes.MethodsIn 73 patients (aged 68 ± 12 years; 83% men; ejection fraction 27% ± 7%) with CS and PV blood samples drawn simultaneously at the time of CRT device implantation, we measured amino-terminal pro-B-type natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP), galectin-3 (gal-3), and soluble ST2 (sST2) levels. NT-proBNP concentrations >2000 pg/mL, gal-3 concentrations >25.9 ng/mL, and sST2 concentrations >35 ng/mL were considered positive on the basis of established PV cut points for identifying "high-risk" individuals with HF. CRT response was adjudicated by the HF Clinical Composite Score. A major adverse cardiovascular event (MACE) was defined as the composite end point of death, cardiac transplant, left ventricular assist device, and HF hospitalization at 2 years.ResultsNT-proBNP concentrations were 20% higher in the CS than in the periphery, while gal-3 and sST2 concentrations were 10% higher in the periphery than in the CS (all P < .001). There were 45% CRT nonresponders at 6 months and 16 (22%) patients with MACE. Triple-positive CS values yielded the highest specificity of 95% for predicting CRT nonresponse. Consistently, CS strategies identified patients at higher risk of developing MACE, with >11-fold adjusted increase for triple-positive CS patients compared to triple-negative patients (all P ≤ .04). PV strategies were not predictive of MACE.ConclusionOur findings suggest that CS sampling of HF biomarkers may be better than PV sampling for predicting CRT outcomes. Larger studies are needed to confirm our findings.

Background: Posttransplant lymphoproliferative disorder (PTLD), a term that encompasses a wide array of malignancies that occur after transplant, can be one of the most devastating transplant complications. While there have been major advancements in care, especially after the landmark PTLD-1 trial in 2012, there is a paucity of information on hospitalizations for PTLD and the changes in hospitalizations over time. Methods: This retrospective cohort study used the National Inpatient Sample to identify hospitalizations for PTLD that occurred between 2009 and 2018. We extracted data for hospitalizations with a primary or secondary diagnosis of PTLD and examined a range of variables, including age, gender, race, hospital type, hospital location, and disposition status. We also collected data on hospital region, median household income, insurance status, and bed size. Results: There was a statistically significant increase in the number of hospitalizations from 2009 to 2019 and an increasing rate of hospitalizations over the study period. Hypertension, electrolyte imbalances, renal failure, and anemia were among the most common comorbidities. We found an increased mortality rate, but this was not statistically significant. Conclusion: Our study provides insight into the changes in hospitalizations for PTLD over nearly a decade, showing an increase in hospitalizations and reports of comorbidities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aims Significant changes in tricuspid regurgitation (TR) and mitral regurgitation (MR) post-cardiac implantable electronic devices (CIEDs) are increasingly recognized. However, uncertainty remains as to whether the risk of CIED-associated TR and MR differs with right ventricular pacing (RVP) via CIED with trans-tricuspid RV leads, compared with cardiac resynchronization therapy (CRT), conduction system pacing (CSP), and leadless pacing (LP). The study aims to synthesize extant data on risk and prognosis of significant post-CIED TR and MR across pacing strategies. Methods and results We searched PubMed, EMBASE, and Cochrane Library databases published until 31 October 2023. Significant post-CIED TR and MR were defined as ≥ moderate. Fifty-seven TR studies (n = 13 723 patients) and 90 MR studies (n = 14 387 patients) were included. For all CIED, the risk of post-CIED TR increased [pooled odds ratio (OR) = 2.46 and 95% CI = 1.88–3.22], while the risk of post-CIED MR reduced (OR = 0.74, 95% CI = 0.58–0.94) after 12 and 6 months of median follow-up, respectively. Right ventricular pacing via CIED with trans-tricuspid RV leads was associated with increased risk of post-CIED TR (OR = 4.54, 95% CI = 3.14–6.57) and post-CIED MR (OR = 2.24, 95% CI = 1.18–4.26). Binarily, CSP did not alter TR risk (OR = 0.37, 95% CI = 0.13–1.02), but significantly reduced MR (OR = 0.15, 95% CI = 0.03–0.62). Cardiac resynchronization therapy did not significantly change TR risk (OR = 1.09, 95% CI = 0.55–2.17), but significantly reduced MR with prevalence pre-CRT of 43%, decreasing post-CRT to 22% (OR = 0.49, 95% CI = 0.40–0.61). There was no significant association of LP with post-CIED TR (OR = 1.15, 95% CI = 0.83–1.59) or MR (OR = 1.31, 95% CI = 0.72–2.39). Cardiac implantable electronic device–associated TR was independently predictive of all-cause mortality [pooled hazard ratio (HR) = 1.64, 95% CI = 1.40–1.90] after median of 53 months. Mitral regurgitation persisting post-CRT independently predicted all-cause mortality (HR = 2.00, 95% CI = 1.57–2.55) after 38 months. Conclusion Our findings suggest that, when possible, adoption of pacing strategies that avoid isolated trans-tricuspid RV leads may be beneficial in preventing incident or deteriorating atrioventricular valvular regurgitation and might reduce mortality. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]