Patients Who Receive Greatest Benefit from Heart Failure Treatment Identified

A new treatment called CRT-D therapy has surfaced for cardiac patients with left bundle branch blocks (LBBB). CRT-D stands for Cardiac Resynchronization Therapy with Defibrillator. Patients with LBBB who underwent CRT-D therapy showed a 53 percent reduction in the risk for a cardiac event (arrhythmia, infarction, ect), compared to patients who received implantable cardioverter defibrillators (ICDs). CRT-D patients were also less likely to develop ventricular tachyarrythmias.

CRT-D is basically a combination between ICD and cardiac resynchronization therapy (CRT). ICD senses dangerous heart rhythms and shocks the heart back to sinus rhythm. CRT shocks the heart to coordinate its beating and make it's pumping action more efficient. The combination of the two treatments paces LBBB hearts and is currently the most effective treatment. The treatment does not just correct cardiac events, but almost provides a sort of "preventative care", in that the improved efficiency of the beats (from CRT) reduce the risk of a major cardiac event. While CRT-D therapy is currently only shown to be effective for LBBB patients, advances in technology may revolutionize similar treatments for more widespread cardiac diseases.

I found this article interesting because I plan to become a cardiologist, and technological revolutions are bringing about newer and better treatments like this. Since I am pursuing an engineering route to medical school, I see what goes into creating new devices, and the combination of medicine and engineering fascinates me.

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/03/110301142016.htm