Aims: The current study includes all consecutive patients with advanced heart failure and cardiac resynchronization therapy (CRT) with an implantable cardioverter defibrillator (ICD) over a 10-year period in a tertiary referral centre. It aims at identifying independent risk factors for mortality during CRT-defibrillator (CRT-D) treatment.
Methods and results: This study includes 239 consecutive patients who had undergone implantation of a CRT-D system (ejection fraction 25.9 ± 8%; 139 patients with ischaemic, 100 patients with non-ischaemic cardiomyopathy). Enrolment took place between 2001 and 2010, resulting in a median follow-up of 43 ± 30 months. During follow-up, 59 patients (25%) died. An impaired baseline kidney function [hazard ratio (HR) 1.98; 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.7-3; P< 0.0001], appropriate ICD therapy during follow-up (HR 2.1; CI 1.1-3.4; P= 0.001), lack of beta-blocker therapy (HR 2.3; CI 1.6-3.8; P= 0.004), and intake of amiodarone (HR 2; CI 1.8-4.1; P< 0.0001) were identified as predictors of overall mortality.
Conclusion: This study demonstrates the benefit of beta-blocker therapy also in patients on long-term CRT-D treatment. It confirms the prognostic significance of impaired renal function and the occurrence of appropriate ICD therapies also in CRT-D patients. It argues for an intensified follow-up regimen and adjustment of heart failure treatment whenever these prognostic markers are identified in a patient treated with CRT-D.