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.