January 27, 2006Open Access
View Full PaperEffects of cardiac resynchronization therapy on disease progression in chronic heart failure
Structured PICO
Does cardiac resynchronization therapy improve remodelling and disease progression in patients with chronic heart failure?
P
Population
Patients with chronic heart failure, with a particular focus on asymptomatic or mild heart failure (NYHA Class I-II)
I
Intervention
Cardiac resynchronization therapy (CRT)
O
Outcome
Remodelling and disease progression
Cardiac resynchronization therapy may be a beneficial adjunct to slow or reverse disease progression and remodeling in chronic heart failure, including in mild or asymptomatic cases.
Abstract
Despite the alleviation of symptoms and longer survival conferred by pharmacological management of chronic congestive heart failure (CHF), this progressive syndrome remains associated with high morbidity and premature death. A new treatment of CHF should ideally alleviate symptoms, improve functional capacity, decrease mortality, and slow or reverse its progression without adding risks for the patient that outweighs the benefits. Growing evidence indicates that devices implanted to resynchronize ventricular contraction are a beneficial adjunct in the treatment of CHF. This review discusses the remodelling process, and its clinical and prognostic significance. We also discuss the impact of CRT, on remodelling and disease progression with a particular focus on patients with asymptomatic or mild heart failure (NYHA Class I-II).