Drug and device therapy for patients with chronic heart failure

Abstract

Evaluation of: Grosu A, Senni M, Iacovoni A et al. Cardiac Resynchronization in Combination with β-blocker Treatment in Advanced Chronic Heart Failure (CARIBE-HF): the results of the CARIBE-HF study. Acta Cardiol. 66(5), 573–580 (2011).

Untreated heart failure is a terminal illness with a poor prognosis. β-blockers are an established therapy used to reduce morbidity and mortality. Hypotension and bradycardia often hinder optimal β-blocker administration in patients with chronic heart failure. The efficacy of cardiac resynchronization therapy (CRT) in affecting favorable cardiac remodeling and reducing mortality in heart failure patients with electrical dyssynchrony has been demonstrated in landmark trials only in patients receiving optimal medical therapy. This paper demonstrates the favorable effects of CRT on cardiac hemodynamics facilitating uptitration of β-blocker therapy. It highlights the synergistic relationship of the two therapies and emphasizes the importance of optimizing medical therapy before and after CRT implantation.

Keywords::

• β-blockers
• cardiac resynchronization therapy
• chronic heart failure
• dyssynchrony

Financial & competing interests disclosure

The authors have no relevant affiliations or financial involvement with any organization or entity with a financial interest in or financial conflict with the subject matter or materials discussed in the manuscript. This includes employment, consultancies, honoraria, stock ownership or options, expert testimony, grants or patents received or pending, or royalties.

No writing assistance was utilized in the production of this manuscript.