Repolarization changes in patients with heart failure receiving cardiac resynchronization therapy-signs of cardiac memory.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE

Cardiac memory is known as T-wave inversions and other repolarization changes after a period of altered ventricular activation, previously mainly studied in structurally normal hearts. We investigated repolarization changes in failing hearts undergoing cardiac resynchronization therapy (CRT).

METHODS

Electrocardiogram and vectorcardiogram were recorded before and 1 day and 2 weeks after initiation of CRT in 23 patients with heart failure and left bundle-branch block.

RESULTS

After 1 day of CRT, the T vector during intrinsic conduction (left bundle-branch block) had rotated toward the direction of the paced QRS vector; T-vector size had increased with further increase after 2 weeks (T-vector amplitude, 889 ± 277 vs 651 ± 225 μV; T area, 169 ± 70 vs 102 ± 39 μVs; P < .01) accompanied by prolonged repolarization (T peak-to-end, 174 ± 34 vs 127 ± 16; QT interval corrected for heart rate, 541 ± 59 vs 493 ± 33 milliseconds; P < .01).

CONCLUSIONS

Repolarization changes are present in patients with heart failure, although less pronounced compared with after right ventricular pacing in structurally normal hearts.