Cardiac Resynchronization Therapy Faces the Morbidity-Mortality Test

In patients with chronic systolic heart failure and intraventricular conduction delays, cardiac resynchronization therapy (CRT) has been shown to improve quality of life, functional status (i.e., NYHA class), exercise capacity, and cardiac structure and function, while limiting hospitalization for worsening heart failure (Journal Watch Cardiology Jul 26 2002). Now, in a study sponsored by a CRT-system manufacturer, researchers have zeroed in on CRT's effects on morbidity and mortality.

The researchers randomized 1520 patients with advanced chronic heart failure, in unblinded fashion, to one of three treatments in a 1:2:2 ratio: optimal medical therapy (OMT) alone, OMT plus CRT, and OMT plus CRT plus implantable-cardioverter defibrillator (IC…