Cardiac Resynchronization Therapy with Defibrillator in Ischemic Versus Nonischemic Cardiomyopathy.

Cardiac resynchronization therapy with implantable cardioverter defibrillators (CRT-Ds) are established therapy options for patients suffering from heart failure (HF). Several aspects of HF modification have yet to be described regarding etiology-dependent outcome differences in the long-term.The Mannheim CArdiac Resynchronization TherApy RetrospeCtive ObservAtioNAl (MARACANA) Registry retrospectively included all patients provided with CRTs in our center from 2013 to 2021. CRT-D recipients (n = 380) were grouped to either ischemic cardiomyopathy (ICM, n = 206) or nonischemic cardiomyopathy (NICM, n = 174). Both groups were compared regarding survival, left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF), hospitalizations due to HF, intrinsic and paced QRS width, NYHA classification, and several further aspects of HF modification in the long-term (59.1 ± 4.81 months).Patients with ICM were older (73.3 ± 8.4 versus 67.7 ± 10.8 years) and predominantly male (86.4 versus 74.7%) and presented with higher creatinine values (1.57 ± 0.92 versus 1.31 ± 0.66 mg/dL, each P < 0.05) at baseline. The mean survival for patients with NICM was better (51.9 ± 1.2 versus 54.4 ± 1.1 months, P = 0.03). Improvements in NYHA (2.93 ± 0.4 versus 2.79 ± 0.5-2.19 ± 0.7 versus 1.79 ± 0.7) and LVEF (26.4 ± 6.8 versus 27% ± 6.9% to 35.7 ± 9.6 versus 44 ± 11%, each P < 0.05) were similar for both groups after 5 years. Patients with ICM experienced more hospitalizations due to HF within the first year (odds ratio 1.9, P < 0.05), whereas electrical remodeling was more impressive for NICM (QRS width 157.1 ± 19.4 milliseconds versus intrinsic 116.6 ± 12.7 milliseconds and paced 131.9 ± 21 milliseconds after 5 years, both P < 0.05).Patients with HF might experience long-term improvements in functional status and left ventricular reverse remodeling following CRT-D, regardless of underlying etiology. Alterations in some aspects of HF modification could be influenced by time- and etiology-associated comorbidities.

Long-term outcomes from upgrade to cardiac resynchronisation therapy in ischaemic versus non-ischaemic heart disease.

BACKGROUND: Cardiac resynchronisation therapy (CRT) can be necessary in patients with chronic heart failure, who have already been provided with transvenous cardiac implantable electrical devices. Upgrade procedures revealed controversial results, while long-term outcomes regarding underlying Ischaemic- (ICM) or Non-Ischaemic heart disease (NICM) have yet to be described. METHODS: The Mannheim Cardiac Resynchronisation Therapy Registry (MARACANA) was designed as a retrospective observational single-centre registry, including all CRT implantations from 2013-2021 (n = 459). CRT upgrades (n = 136) were retrospectively grouped to either ICM (n = 84) or NICM (n = 52) and compared for New York Heart Association classification (NYHA), paced QRS-width, left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF), tricuspid annular plane systolic excursion (TAPSE) and other heart failure modification aspects in the long-term (59.3 ± 5 months). RESULTS: Baseline-characteristics including paced QRS-width, upgrade indications or NYHA-classification were comparable for both groups (group comparison p>.05). The CRT upgrade improved NYHA (ICM: 2.98 ± 0.4 to 2.29 ± 0.7, NICM: 2.94 ± 0.5 to 2.08 ± 0.5) and the LVEF (ICM: 27.2 ± 6.6 to 38.25 ± 8.8, NICM: 30.2 ± 9.4 to 38.7 ± 13.8%) after five years, irrespective of underlying heart disease (each group p < .05, group comparison p>.05). Only ICM revealed significant improvements in TAPSE (15.9 ± 4.1 to 18.9 ± 4.1 mm) and narrowing of the paced QRS-width (185.4 ± 29 to 147.2 ± 16.3 ms) after five years (each p < .05). CONCLUSIONS: Upgrade to CRT might improve heart failure symptoms and left-ventricular systolic function in the long-term, irrespective of underlying ischaemic or non-ischaemic heart disease.