The Lead Episode 53: A Discussion of Long-Term Outcomes of Resynchronization-Defibrillation for Heart Failure

Discussion Topic: Long-Term Outcomes of Resynchronization-Defibrillation for Heart Failure

William H. Sauer, MD, FHRS, CCDS, of Brigham and Women’s Hospital is joined by guests Akshay Suvas Desai, MD, MPH of Brigham and Women’s Hospital, and Sunil Kapur, MD of Brigham and Women`s Hospital to discuss how the Resynchronization–Defibrillation for Ambulatory Heart Failure Trial (RAFT) showed a greater benefit with respect to mortality at 5 years among patients who received cardiac-resynchronization therapy (CRT) than among those who received implantable cardioverter–defibrillators (ICDs). However, the effect of CRT on long-term survival is not known. We randomly assigned patients with New York Heart Association (NYHA) class II or III heart failure, a left ventricular ejection fraction of 30% or less, and an intrinsic QRS duration of 120 msec or more (or a paced QRS duration of 200 msec or more) to receive either an ICD alone or a CRT defibrillator (CRT-D). We assessed long-term outcomes among patients at the eight highest-enrolling participating sites. The primary outcome was death from any cause; the secondary outcome was a composite of death from any cause, heart transplantation, or implantation of a ventricular assist device.

Host: William H. Sauer, MD, FHRS, CCDS
Guests: Akshay Suvas Desai, MD, MPH and Sunil Kapur, MD

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