Aims: Cardiac resynchronization therapy (CRT) improves echocardiographic parameters, symptoms, hospitalizations, and mortality in patients with New York Heart Association (NYHA) Class III or IV symptoms with left ventricular systolic dysfunction, sinus rhythm, and a prolonged QRS duration. The effectiveness of CRT in patients with mild heart failure symptoms has not been systematically reviewed.
Methods and results: Randomized controlled trials of CRT in patients with NYHA Class I or II heart failure were identified from MEDLINE and EMBASE. The effects of CRT on left ventricular remodelling at 1 year were systematically reviewed, and the effects of CRT on clinical outcomes at 1 year were meta-analysed. Two studies met the pre-specified search criteria, with a total of 2430 patients (REVERSE n = 610 and MADIT-CRT n = 1820). CRT was associated with a reduction in heart failure events in both trials [combined OR 0.57, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.46-0.70], but not mortality (combined OR 0.96, 95% CI 0.67-1.36). The effect of CRT on the combined endpoint of heart failure events or death favoured CRT (OR 0.63, 95% CI 0.51-0.77). CRT was also associated with improvement in left ventricular remodelling parameters in both studies, including a greater increase in left ventricular ejection fraction in the CRT group than in the control group, at 1 year after randomization. Serious adverse events were rare with CRT.
Conclusion: CRT reduces heart failure events in patients with mild heart failure symptoms, left ventricular dysfunction, sinus rhythm, and prolonged QRS duration.