Left univentricular pacing for cardiac resynchronization therapy using rate-adaptive atrioventricular delay.

OBJECTIVE

To evaluate left univentricular (LUV) pacing for cardiac resynchronization therapy (CRT) using a rate-adaptive atrioventricular delay (RAAVD) algorithm to track physiological atrioventricular delay (AVD).

METHODS

A total of 72 patients with congestive heart failure (CHF) were randomized to RAAVD LUV pacing versus standard biventricular (BiV) pacing in a 1: 1 ratio. Echocardiography was used to optimize AVD for both groups. The effects of sequential BiV pacing and LUV pacing with optimized A-V (right atrio-LV) delay using an RAAVD algorithm were compared. The standard deviation (SD) of the S/R ratio in lead V1 at five heart rate (HR) segments (R-SD5), defined as the "tracking index," was used to evaluate the accuracy of the RAAVD algorithm for tracking physiological AVD.

RESULTS

The QRS complex duration (132 ± 9.8 138 ± 10 ms, < 0.05), the time required for optimization (21 ± 5 50 ± 8 min, < 0.001), the mitral regurgitant area (1.9 ± 1.1 2.5 ± 1.3 cm, < 0.05), the interventricular mechanical delay time (60.7 ± 13.3 ms 68.3 ± 14.2 ms, < 0.05), and the average annual cost (13,200 ± 1000 21,600 ± 2000 RMB, < 0.001) in the RAAVD LUV pacing group were significantly less than those in the standard BiV pacing group. The aortic valve velocity-time integral in the RAAVD LUV pacing group was greater than that in the standard BiV pacing group (22.7 ± 2.2 21.4 ± 2.1 cm, < 0.05). The R-SD5 was 4.08 ± 1.91 in the RAAVD LUV pacing group, and was significantly negatively correlated with improved left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) (ΔLVEF, Pearson's = -0.427, = 0.009), and positively correlated with New York Heart Association class (Spearman's = 0.348, = 0.037).

CONCLUSIONS

RAAVD LUV pacing is as effective as standard BiV pacing, can be more physiological than standard BiV pacing, and can decrease the average annual cost of CRT.