Timing of cardiac resynchronization therapy implantation.

AIMS: The optimum timing of cardiac resynchronization therapy (CRT) implantation is unknown. We explored long-term outcomes after CRT in relation to the time interval from a first heart failure hospitalization (HFH) to device implantation. METHODS AND RESULTS: A database covering the population of England (56.3 million in 2019) was used to quantify clinical outcomes after CRT implantation in relation to first HFHs. From 2010 to 2019, 64 968 patients [age: 71.4 ± 11.7 years; 48 606 (74.8%) male] underwent CRT implantation, 57% in the absence of a previous HFH, 12.9% during the first HFH, and 30.1% after ≥1 HFH. Over 4.54 (2.80-6.71) years [median (interquartile range); 272 989 person-years], the time in years from the first HFH to CRT implantation was associated with a higher risk of total mortality [hazard ratio (HR); 95% confidence intervals (95% CI)] (1.15; 95% CI 1.14-1.16, HFH (HR: 1.26; 95% CI 1.24-1.28), and the combined endpoint of total mortality or HFH (HR: 1.19; 95% CI 1.27-1.20) than CRT in patients with no previous HFHs, after co-variate adjustment. Total mortality (HR: 1.67), HFH (HR: 2.63), and total mortality or HFH (HR: 1.92) (all P < 0.001) were highest in patients undergoing CRT ≥2 years after the first HFH. CONCLUSION: In this study of a healthcare system covering an entire nation, delays from a first HFH to CRT implantation were associated with progressively worse long-term clinical outcomes. The best clinical outcomes were observed in patients with no previous HFH and in those undergoing CRT implantation during the first HFH. CONDENSED ABSTRACT: The optimum timing of CRT implantation is unknown. In this study of 64 968 consecutive patients, delays from a first heart failure hospitalization (HFH) to CRT implantation were associated with progressively worse long-term clinical outcomes. Each year from a first HFH to CRT implantation was associated with a 21% higher risk of total mortality and a 34% higher risk of HFH. The best outcomes after CRT were observed in patients with no previous HFHs and in those undergoing implantation during their first HFH.

Effect of QRS area reduction and myocardial scar on the hemodynamic response to cardiac resynchronization therapy.

BACKGROUND: Vectorcardiographic QRS area (QRSarea) predicts clinical outcomes after cardiac resynchronization therapy (CRT). Myocardial scar adversely affects clinical outcomes after CRT. OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study in patients with an ideally deployed quadripolar left ventricular (LV) lead (QUAD) was to determine whether reducing QRSarea leads to an acute hemodynamic response (AHR) and whether scar affects this interaction. METHODS: Patients (n = 26; age 69.2 ± 9.12 years [mean ± SD]) underwent assessment of the maximum rate of change of LV pressure (ΔLV dP/dtmax) during CRT using various left ventricular pacing locations (LVPLs). Cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR) scan was used to localize LV myocardial scar. RESULTS: Interindividually, ΔQRSarea (area under the receiver operating characteristic curve [AUC] 0.81; P <.001) and change in QRS duration (ΔQRSd) (AUC 0.76; P <.001) predicted ΔLV dP/dtmax after CRT. Scar burden correlated with ΔQRSarea (r = 0.35; P = .003), ΔQRSarea (r = 0.35; P = .003), and ΔQRSd (r = 0.46; P <.001). A reduction in QRSarea was observed with LVPLs remote from scar (-3.28 ± 38.1 µVs) or in LVPLs in patients with no scar at all (-43.8 ± 36.8 µVs), whereas LVPLs over scar increased QRSarea (22.2 ± 58.4 µVs) (P <.001 for all comparisons). LVPLs within 1 scarred LV segment were associated with lower ΔLV dP/dtmax (-2.21% ± 11.5%) than LVPLs remote from scar (5.23% ± 10.3%; P <.001) or LVPLs in patients with no scar at all (10.2% ± 7.75%) (both P <.001). CONCLUSION: Reducing QRSarea improves the AHR to CRT. Myocardial scar adversely affects ΔQRSarea and the AHR. These findings may support the use of ΔQRSarea and CMR in optimizing CRT using QUAD.

Cardiac Resynchronization Therapy Using Quadripolar Versus Non-Quadripolar Left Ventricular Leads Programmed to Biventricular Pacing With Single-Site Left Ventricular Pacing: Impact on Survival and Heart Failure Hospitalization.

BACKGROUND: In cardiac resynchronization therapy (CRT), quadripolar (QUAD) left ventricular (LV) leads are less prone to postoperative complications than non-QUAD leads. Some studies have suggested better clinical outcomes. METHODS AND RESULTS: Clinical events were assessed in 847 patients after CRT-pacing or CRT-defibrillation using either QUAD (n=287) or non-QUAD (n=560), programmed to single-site site LV pacing. Over a follow-up period of 3.2 years (median [interquartile range, 1.90-5.0]), QUAD was associated with a lower total mortality (adjusted hazard ratio [aHR]: 0.32, 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.20-0.52), cardiac mortality (aHR: 0.36, 95% CI, 0.20-0.65), and heart failure (HF) hospitalization (aHR: 0.62, 95% CI, 0.39-0.99), after adjustment for age, sex, New York Heart Association class, HF etiology, device type (CRT-pacing or CRT-defibrillation), comorbidities, atrial rhythm, medication, left ventricular ejection fraction, and creatinine. Death from pump failure was lower with QUAD (aHR: 0.33; 95% CI, 0.18-0.62), but no group differences emerged with respect to sudden cardiac death. There were no differences in implant-related complications. Re-interventions for LV displacement or phrenic nerve stimulation, which were lower with QUAD, predicted total mortality (aHR: 1.68, 95% CI, 1.11-2.54), cardiac mortality (aHR: 2.61, 95% CI, 1.66-4.11) and HF hospitalization (aHR: 2.09, 95% CI, 1.22-3.58). CONCLUSIONS: CRT using QUAD, programmed to biventricular pacing with single-site LV pacing, is associated with a lower total mortality, cardiac mortality, and HF hospitalization. These trends were observed for both CRT-defibrillation and CRT-pacing, after adjustment for HF cause and other confounders. Re-intervention for LV lead displacement or phrenic nerve stimulation was associated with worse outcomes.

The Effectiveness of Psychological Treatment for Reducing Recidivism in Child Molesters: A Systematic Review of Randomized and Nonrandomized Studies.

In this systematic review, the effectiveness of psychological treatment interventions for child molesters was examined. Studies were restricted to randomized control trials (RCTs), controlled trials, and cohort designs where recidivism had been used as the outcome variable. ASSIA, NCJRS, Medline, PsychINFO, EMBASE, Pro-requests Dissertations and Theses A&I, and the Cochrane Library were searched. Ten experts were contacted and the reference lists of 12 systematic reviews and 40 primary studies were observed. The number of hits was 3,019, of which 564 duplicates, 2,388 irrelevant references, and 38 that did not meet the inclusion criteria were removed. Fourteen studies using mixed samples had to be omitted because it was not possible to determine the recidivism rates of child molesters in the samples described. One RCT and 9 cohort studies were included in the data synthesis, providing 2,119 participants. In all, 52.1% received the intervention under investigation and 47.9% did not. The reported recidivism rates were 13.9% for the treated child molesters compared to 18.6% for the untreated child molesters. Three studies reported statistically significant lower recidivism rates for treated child molesters. Eight studies were assessed as weak. Four studies were assessed as having bias which increased the chance of finding a treatment effect and four studies were assessed as having bias which reduced the chance of finding a treatment effect. It was not possible to determine the direction of bias for two studies.