Combination of left ventricular reverse remodeling and brain natriuretic peptide level at one year after cardiac resynchronization therapy predicts long-term clinical outcome.

INTRODUCTION: The aim of this study was to investigate the predictors of long-term clinical outcome of heart failure (HF) patients who survived first year after initiation of cardiac resynchronization therapy (CRT). METHODS: This was a single-center observational cohort study of CRT patients implanted because of symptomatic HF with reduced ejection fraction between 2005 and 2013. Left ventricle (LV) diameters and ejection fraction, New York Heart Association (NYHA) class, and level of N-terminal fragment of pro-brain natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP) were assessed at baseline and 12 months after CRT implantation. Their predictive power for long-term HF hospitalization and mortality, and cardiac and all-cause mortality was investigated. RESULTS: A total of 315 patients with left bundle branch block or intraventricular conduction delay who survived >1 year after CRT implantation were analyzed in the current study. During a follow-up period of 4.8±2.1 years from CRT implantation, 35.2% patients died from cardiac (19.3%) or non-cardiac (15.9%) causes. Post-CRT LV ejection fraction and LV end-systolic diameter (either 12-month value or the change from baseline) were equally predictive for clinical events. For NT-proBNP, however, the 12-month level was a stronger predictor than the change from baseline. Both reverse LV remodeling and 12-month level of NT-proBNP were independent and comparable predictors of CRT-related clinical outcome, while NT-proBNP response had the strongest association with all-cause mortality. When post-CRT relative change of LV end-systolic diameter and 12-month level of NT-proBNP (dichotomized at -12.3% and 1230 ng/L, respectively) were combined, subgroups of very-high and very-low risk patients were identified. CONCLUSION: The level of NT-proBNP and reverse LV remodeling at one year after CRT are independent and complementary predictors of future clinical events. Their combination may help to improve the risk stratification of CRT patients.

Left Ventricular Lead Electrical Delay Is a Predictor of Mortality in Patients With Cardiac Resynchronization Therapy.

BACKGROUND: Electric left ventricular lead position, assessed by the electric delay from the beginning of the QRS complex to the local LV electrogram (QLV), was found in previous studies to be a strong predictor of short-term response to cardiac resynchronization therapy. We hypothesized that suboptimum electric position of the left ventricular lead is associated with an excess of heart failure events and mortality. METHODS AND RESULTS: We analyzed the clinical outcome of patients with left bundle branch block or intraventricular conduction delay treated with cardiac resynchronization therapy at our institution during 9 years. Baseline clinical characteristics, QLV/QRS duration (QLV ratio) at cardiac resynchronization therapy implant, and data about heart failure hospitalization and mode of death were collected in 329 patients who were followed for a period of 3.3±1.9 years. Of them, 83 were hospitalized for heart failure and 83 died. Event rates for all-cause mortality, cardiac mortality, noncardiac mortality, heart failure mortality, and sudden death were 25.2%, 14.9%, 10.3%, 12.2%, and 2.1%, respectively. Patients with a QLV ratio ≤0.70 had significantly worse event-free survival for all study end points--hazard ratio, 1.6; 95% confidence interval, 1.0 to 2.4; P=0.05 for heart failure hospitalization; hazard ratio, 2.9; 95% confidence interval, 1.6 to 5.5; P=0.001 for heart failure mortality; hazard ratio, 1.8; 95% confidence interval, 1.1 to 2.7; P=0.01 for cardiac mortality; and hazard ratio, 2.1; 95% confidence interval, 1.2 to 3.7; P=0.01 for all-cause mortality. In multivariable analysis, QLV ratio ≤0.70 remained associated with all study end points. CONCLUSIONS: Electric left ventricular lead position in cardiac resynchronization therapy patients was a significant predictor of heart failure hospitalization and mortality.

Valve cuspidity: a risk factor for aortic valve repair?

BACKGROUND: The aim of this study was to analyze short- and mid-term results after aortic valve (AV) repair with particular regard to the impact of valve cuspidity (bicuspid versus tricuspid aortic valve). METHODS: One hundred patients with aortic regurgitation (AR) undergoing aortic valve repair between November 2007 and October 2012 were included in the study. Sixty patients had bicuspid AV (BAV group; 11 females) and 40 patients had tricuspid AV (TAV group; 13 females). AR > grade 2 was present in 47 (78%) patients in the BAV and in 35 (88%) patients in the TAV group. Follow-up was complete in 100% and median was 25 months. RESULTS: Isolated aortic valve repair was performed in 27 (45%) of BAV patients and in six (15%) of TAV patients. Replacement of the ascending aorta and/or aortic root was performed in 33 (55%) of BAV patients and in 34 (86%) of TAV patients. There was no death within 30 days postoperatively, while two patients died (TAV group) during the follow-up period. There was no statistical difference between BAV and TAV groups with regard to the survival (100 ± 0% vs. 95 ± 4%, p = 0.102), the three-year freedom from AV-related reoperation (90 ± 5% vs. 89 ± 6%, p = 0.456), and the three-year freedom from AR grade > 2 (86 ± 6% vs. 82 ± 7%, p = 0.866), respectively. CONCLUSIONS: This study demonstrates no difference in mid-term results after regurgitant bicuspid and tricuspid aortic valve repair, suggesting that bicuspid valve may not be a risk factor for aortic valve repair.

Local electrogram delay recorded from left ventricular lead at implant predicts response to cardiac resynchronization therapy: retrospective study with 1 year follow up.

BACKGROUND: Considerable proportion of patients does not respond to the cardiac resynchronization therapy (CRT). This study investigated clinical relevance of left ventricular electrode local electrogram delay from the beginning of QRS (QLV). We hypothesized that longer QLV indicating more optimal lead placement in the late activated regions is associated with the higher probability of positive CRT response. METHODS: We conducted a retrospective, single-centre analysis of 161 consecutive patients with heart failure and LBBB or nonspecific intraventricular conduction delay (IVCD) treated with CRT. We routinely intend to implant the LV lead in a region with long QLV. Clinical response to CRT, left ventricular (LV) reverse remodelling (i.e. decrease in LV end-systolic diameter - LVESD ≥10%) and reduction in plasma level of NT-proBNP >30% at 12-month post-implant were the study endpoints. We analyzed association between pre-implant variables and the study endpoints. RESULTS: Clinical CRT response rate reached 58%, 84% and 92% in the lowest (≤105 ms), middle (106-130 ms) and the highest (>130 ms) QLV tertile (p < 0.0001), respectively. Longer QRS duration (p = 0.002), smaller LVESD and a non-ischemic cardiomyopathy (both p = 0.02) were also univariately associated with positive clinical CRT response. In a multivariate analysis, QLV remained the strongest predictor of clinical CRT response (p < 0.00001), followed by LVESD (p = 0.01) and etiology of LV dysfunction (p = 0.04). Comparable predictive power of QLV for LV reverse remodelling and NT-proBNP response rates was observed. CONCLUSION: LV lead position assessed by duration of the QLV interval was found the strongest independent predictor of beneficial clinical response to CRT.