Cited 23 times since 2012 (2 per year) source: EuropePMC European heart journal. Cardiovascular Imaging, Volume 14, Issue 8, 7 1 2012, Pages 774-781 Impact of clinical and echocardiographic response to cardiac resynchronization therapy on long-term survival. Bertini M, Höke U, van Bommel RJ, Ng AC, Shanks M, Nucifora G, Auger D, Borleffs CJ, van Rijnsoever EP, van Erven L, Schalij MJ, Marsan NA, Bax JJ, Delgado V
Background
Clinical or echocardiographic mid-term responses to cardiac resynchronization therapy (CRT) may have a different influence on a long-term prognosis of heart failure patients treated with CRT. The aim of the evaluation was to establish which definition of response to CRT, clinical or echocardiographic, best predicts long-term prognosis.
Methods and results
A total of 679 heart failure patients treated with CRT were included. All the patients underwent a complete history and physical examination and transthoracic echocardiogram prior to CRT implantation and at 6-month follow-up. The clinical and echocardiographic responses to CRT were defined based on clinical improvement (≥1 NYHA class) and LV reverse remodelling (reduction in LV end-systolic volume ≥15%) at 6-month follow-up, respectively. All the patients were prospectively followed up for the occurrence of death. The mean age was 65 ± 11 years and 79% of the patients were male. At 6-month follow-up, 510 (77%) patients showed clinical response to CRT and 412 (62%) patients showed echocardiographic response to CRT. During a mean follow-up of 37 ± 22 months, 140 (21%) patients died. Clinical and echocardiographic responses to CRT were both significantly related to all-cause mortality on univariable analysis. However, on multivariable Cox-regression analysis only echocardiographic response to CRT was independently associated with superior survival (hazard ratio: 0.38; 95% CI: 0.27-0.50; P < 0.001).
Conclusion
In a large population of heart failure patients treated with CRT, the reduction in LV end-systolic volume at the mid-term follow-up demonstrated to be a better predictor of long-term survival than improvement in the clinical status.
