努力提高我国心脏再同步治疗的应用水平

心脏再同步治疗(CRT)已成为伴QRS波增宽的慢性心力衰竭患者的有效治疗方法.多中心临床研究证实,CRT不仅能改善慢性心力衰竭伴心脏收缩不同步患者的心功能,提高生活质量,而且可以降低死亡率,改善患者预后.2002年ACC/AHA/NASPE第一次将CRT治疗心力衰竭列入起搏适应证(Ⅱa类).随着循证医学证据的不断积累,CRT治疗心力衰竭的地位不断提升.     

努力提高我国心脏再同步治疗的应用水平

心脏再同步治疗（CRT）已成为伴QRS波增宽的慢性心力衰竭患者的有效治疗方法。多中心临床研究证实,CRT不仅能改善慢性心力衰竭伴心脏收缩不同步患者的心功能,提高生活质量,而且可以降低死亡率,改善患者预后。2002年ACC／AHA／NASPE第一次将CRT治疗心力衰竭列入起搏适应证（Ⅱa类）。随着循证医学证据的不断积累,CRT治疗心力衰竭的地位不断提升。     

进一步广泛深入开展心脏再同步治疗慢性心力衰竭的工作

心脏再同步治疗（CRT）慢性心力衰竭的效果在国际上已得到公认。多中心临床研究证实,CRT不仅能改善慢性心力衰竭伴心脏收缩不同步患者的心功能,提高生活质量,而且可以降低死亡率,改善患者预后。2002年美国心脏病学学会（ACC）／美国心脏协会（AHA）／北美心脏起搏与电生理学会（NASPE）第一次将CRT治疗心力衰竭列入心脏起搏适应证（Ⅱa类）中。随着循证医学证据的不断积累,CRT治疗心力衰竭的地位不断提升。     

心脏再同步治疗应成为心力衰竭伴心脏收缩不同步患者的重要治疗手段之一

慢性心力衰竭（CHF）是治疗难题,是使患者丧失工作能力,具有较高病死率的综合征.几十年来,随着血管紧张素转化酶抑制剂、醛固酮拮抗剂、β受体阻滞剂的推广应用,CHF的药物治疗取得了很大进展.近年来,心脏再同步治疗（cardiac resynchronization therapy,CRT）已被充分证明可有效改善CHF伴心脏收缩不同步患者的心功能,以及降低病死率.2005年5月欧洲心脏病学会（ESC）以及2005年8月美国ACC/AHA先后将CRT治疗列入CHF伴心脏收缩不同步患者的Ⅰ类适应证.     

心脏再同步治疗与室性心律失常

心脏再同步治疗(CRT)是慢性心力衰竭治疗的重要进展,大量临床研究证实,对于符合适应证的慢性心力衰竭患者,CRT能够逆转心肌重构,改善心功能,提高生活质量,降低死亡率[1-4].     

心脏再同步治疗中的"无反应"问题

对慢性心力衰竭伴心脏收缩不同步的患者，心脏再同步治疗（CRT）已成为重要的基本治疗方法。有近5000例病人入选的一系列多中心临床试验证实，在最佳药物治疗方案基础上，CRT能进一步改善心功能，提高生活质量，减少心力衰竭的住院次数，降低病死率。因此，在美国、欧洲和我国的心力衰竭治疗指南中，     

30例难治性慢性心力衰竭患者心脏再同步治疗疗效分析

心脏再同步治疗(CRT)通过心脏同步性的改善,包括房室同步性、左心室内同步性和左、右心室间的同步性,改善左心室收缩功能,增加左心室充盈时间,减少二尖瓣反流,逆转慢性心脏重构,是近期慢性充血性心力衰竭(CHF)治疗的重大进展[1-2].现将我院30例已完成的CRT治疗患者的临床及随访资料进行分析,探讨CRT治疗CHF的疗效.     

心脏再同步化治疗相关细胞分子机制研究进展

<正>慢性心力衰竭是以进行性心脏功能下降及心腔扩大为特征,其致病机制涉及众多细胞信号通路。虽拮抗神经内分泌激素治疗,预后明显改善,但心力衰竭发病率及病死率仍居高不下。部分心力衰竭患者表现为心脏收缩不同步心力衰竭(DHF),而收缩不同步可显著增加心力衰竭发病率及病死率。心脏再同步化治疗(CRT)是一种极有希望的DHF非药物治疗手段,可促进急慢性心脏同步收缩,逆转心室重构,明显改善心脏功能,降低病死率,但30%患者对CRT无     

心脏再同步治疗在轻微和无症状心力衰竭患者中的临床应用

心脏再同步治疗(cardiac resynchronization therapy,CRT)作为慢性心力衰竭(CHF)的一种非药物治疗策略,其临床疗效已得到充分肯定.尤其对于心功能Ⅲ或Ⅳ级(NYHA分级)、左心室射血分数(LVEF)≤0.35、体表心电图QRS时限≥120 ms和经优化药物治疗的心力衰竭患者,CRT可以逆转心室重构,提高LVEF,改善患者生活质量,并且能降低因心力衰竭住院率和死亡率.     

心脏再同步治疗在轻微和无症状心力衰竭患者中的临床应用

心脏再同步治疗(cardiac resynchronization therapy,CRT)作为慢性心力衰竭(CHF)的一种非药物治疗策略,其临床疗效已得到充分肯定.尤其对于心功能Ⅲ或Ⅳ级(NYHA分级)、左心室射血分数(LVEF)≤0.35、体表心电图QRS时限≥120 ms和经优化药物治疗的心力衰竭患者,CRT可以逆转心室重构,提高LVEF,改善患者生活质量,并且能降低因心力衰竭住院率和死亡率.     

Cardiac Resynchronization Therapy with or without an Implantable Defibrillator: Only Indicated When Everything Else has Failed?

Cardiac resynchronization therapy (CRT) is potentially an important new treatment for patients with heart failure due to left ventricular systolic dysfunction and cardiac dyssynchrony. There is growing evidence that CRT can improve symptoms although it is possible that similar benefits could be obtained by skillful manipulation of pharmacological therapy. There is also preliminary but inconclusive evidence to suggest that CRT alone or in synergy with an implantable cardiac defibrillator (ICD) may reduce morbidity and mortality. However, fashion is in danger of overtaking facts and it is important to ensure that benefits are not only statistically proven but clinically meaningful and cost-effective. Optimal timing of intervention and patient selection will be essential to ensure that treatment is deployed efficiently.If CRT with or without ICD becomes part of mainstream therapy for heart failure this will have far-reaching consequences for heart failure management. Implantation is a skilled and often time-consuming procedure. Long-term management of both CRT and ICD is likely to provide challenges in terms of lead technology, pacing thresholds and device management. Heart failure physicians will have to learn new skills and collaborate more closely with electrophysiologists. Such developments, in addition to the need for complex pharmacological interventions will accelerate the move away from general practice and towards specialist care for this most common of malignant diseases.If CRT does reduce mortality, it will graduate from an adjunctive therapy which could be used to an essential one that should be used as part of routine therapy for appropriate patients. Currently, CRT is a symptomatic therapy for patients with severe heart failure resistant to intensive pharmacological therapy delivered by a heart failure specialist.     

Cardiac Resynchronization Therapy in Children

Cardiac Resynchronization therapy has become an important management tool in adults with heart failure and dilated cardiomyopathy. The role of CRT in children with CHF is still unclear. Evidence is slowly emerging in the pediatric cardiology literature that CRT may have an important and useful role in certain select populations with CHF. These include patients with complete heart block who develop pacing-induced cardiomyopathy, certain forms of congenital heart disease associated with systemic ventricular failure (even if the systemic ventricle is a morphologic RV) and in patients with idiopathic dilated cardiomyopathy. Studies in children supporting the use of CRT include many case reports, a few studies of CRT in post-operative patients, and one multi-center registry reporting the use of CRT in children. These papers will be summarized.     

Cardiac resynchronisation therapy: evidence based benefits and patient selection

Despite the improvement in pharmacologic treatment of heart failure, many patients continue to have severe persistent symptoms, and their prognosis remains poor. One of the most recent advances in heart failure management is the concept of cardiac resynchronization therapy (CRT) with right and left ventricular pacing. Large clinical trials have demonstrated morbidity and mortality benefits of CRT in patients with moderate to severe drug refractory heart failure (New York Heart Association (NYHA) functional class III or IV), and ejection fraction < or = 35% with QRS duration > or = 120 ms. Despite the documented benefits, 20-30% of patients selected to have CRT do not respond to this treatment. Echocardiography will probably play a more important role in better selecting patients with mechanical dyssynchrony who are more likely to respond to CRT. This article reviews the available evidence for CRT as well as the way to select responders to this rather invasive therapy.     

Monitoring of physical activity and heart rate variability in patients with chronic heart failure using cardiac resynchronization devices

Cardiac resynchronization therapy (CRT) devices not only deliver effective treatment but may also serve as valuable diagnostic tools in heart failure management. In the present study, the minutes of daily physical activity and heart rate variability, measured by sensors incorporated into such a device, reflected the effects of CRT and were related to New York Heart Association functional class.     

Cardiac resynchronization therapy for treatment of heart failure in the elderly

Congestive heart failure affects 5 million patients each year and is more common in elderly patients. Cardiac resynchronization therapy (CRT) or biventricular pacing is the simultaneous pacing of both ventricles, an approach that can improve symptoms and survival in some heart failure (HF) patients. Although no randomized controlled trial has evaluated CRT specifically in elderly patients, many of the patients included in the landmark CRT trials were aged 70 and older. Data suggest that CRT is a safe and efficacious treatment of HF in geriatric patients.     

Cardiac resynchronization therapy for treatment of heart failure in the elderly

Congestive heart failure affects 5 million patients each year and is more common in elderly patients. Cardiac resynchronization therapy (CRT) or biventricular pacing is the simultaneous pacing of both ventricles, an approach that can improve symptoms and survival in some heart failure (HF) patients. Although no randomized controlled trial has evaluated CRT specifically in elderly patients,many of the patients included in the landmark CRT trials were aged 70 and older. Data suggest that CRT is a safe and efficacious treatment of HF in geriatric patients.     

Kommentar zu den ESC-Leitlinien zur Device-Therapie bei Herzinsuffizienz 2010

As part of the 2010 focused update of ESC guidelines on device therapy in heart failure, the guidelines on pacemakers in the treatment of heart failure were renewed. A new feature is that cardiac resynchronization therapy (CRT) is indicated for New York Heart Association (NYHA) class III and IV irrespective of the presence of left ventricular dilatation and specified for NYHA class IV (patient ambulatory, stable, life expectancy >6 months). Furthermore, NYHA class II (but not class I) has been added when there is left bundle branch block and QRS duration ≥150 ms. CRT is also indicated for patients in NYHA class III-IV with permanent atrial fibrillation and heart failure [left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) ≤ 35%] when QRS is ≥ 130 ms and ventricular rate has slowed either spontaneously or by AV node ablation. In patients with heart failure (NYHA class II-IV, LVEF ≤ 35%) who need a pacemaker for AV block, CRT is generally indicated to avoid progression of heart failure caused by right ventricular stimulation, also in cases of intrinsic QRS <120 ms. For patients with terminal heart failure who are not eligible for heart transplantation, treatment with a left ventricular assist device can be performed as destination therapy. The new guidelines expand the indication for device therapy in heart failure based on the newest study findings, particularly for patients in NYHA class II, and specify the old guidelines. There are still uncertainties that must be investigated in randomized trials regarding patients with permanent atrial fibrillation, the indication for CRT in heart block, and the question of CRT with pacemaker or defibrillator.     

Symptomatic relief: left ventricular assist devices versus resynchronization therapy

In patients who have end-stage heart failure, medical therapy is of limited use, and heart transplantation is frequently not an option because of the shortage of donor hearts. Two new treatment options, left ventricular assist devices (LVADs) and implantable cardiac resynchronization therapy (CRT) devices, can improve survival and quality of life in patients who have heart failure. Both types of devices are easy to implant. However, LVADs carry the risk of infection and mechanical failure, and CRT is ineffective in a substantial proportion of patients who have heart failure. Therefore, methods must be devised to identify patients who have heart failure who are likely to benefit from these devices. Data suggest that early LVAD implantation, before end-stage heart failure develops, is critical to slowing or reversing disease progression. Similarly, in indicated patients who have less advanced disease, CRT may be particularly beneficial.