Cardiac Resynchronization Therapy in Heart Failure (2005)

Letters15 February 2005Cardiac Resynchronization Therapy in Heart FailureFinlay A. McAlister, MD, MSc, Natasha Wiebe, Mmath, and William Abraham, MDFinlay A. McAlister, MD, MScFrom University of Alberta Hospital, Edmonton, Alberta T6G 2R7, Canada; University of Alberta Campus, Edmonton, Alberta T6G 2J3, Canada; and Ohio State University, Columbus, OH 43210.Search for more papers by this author, Natasha Wiebe, MmathFrom University of Alberta Hospital, Edmonton, Alberta T6G 2R7, Canada; University of Alberta Campus, Edmonton, Alberta T6G 2J3, Canada; and Ohio State University, Columbus, OH 43210.Search for more papers by this author, and William Abraham, MDFrom University of Alberta Hospital, Edmonton, Alberta T6G 2R7, Canada; University of Alberta Campus, Edmonton, Alberta T6G 2J3, Canada; and Ohio State University, Columbus, OH 43210.Search for more papers by this authorAuthor, Article, and Disclosure Informationhttps://doi.org/10.7326/0003-4819-142-4-200502150-00018 SectionsAboutFull TextPDF ToolsAdd to favoritesDownload CitationsTrack CitationsPermissions ShareFacebookTwitterLinkedInRedditEmail IN RESPONSE:We agree with Drs. Carbajal, Huang, and Hu that several trials included in our systematic review had potential methodologic deficiencies. Although we had space to highlight only 1 of these deficiencies in our published manuscript (randomization after implantation of the CRT device in all but 1 trial), we refer interested readers to our full Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality report, available at www.ahrq.gov/clinic/tp/resyntp.htm, for a full description of the methods and the quality assessment tables for all of the studies included in both our efficacy and safety analyses.We refute the allegation of Drs. Calvert, Freemantle, and ...References1. Bristow MR, Saxon LA, Boehmer J, Krueger S, Kass DA, De Marco T, et al. Cardiac-resynchronization therapy with or without an implantable defibrillator in advanced chronic heart failure. N Engl J Med. 2004;350:2140-50. [PMID: 15152059] CrossrefMedlineGoogle Scholar2. Hlatky MA, Massie BM. Cardiac resynchronization for heart failure [Editorial]. Ann Intern Med. 2004;141:399-400. [PMID: 15313731] LinkGoogle Scholar3. Ezekowitz JA, Armstrong PW, McAlister FA. Implantable cardioverter defibrillators in primary and secondary prevention: a systematic review of randomized, controlled trials. Ann Intern Med. 2003;138:445-52. [PMID: 12639076] LinkGoogle Scholar4. Cleland JG, Ghosh J, Freemantle N, Kaye GC, Nasir M, Clark AL, et al. Clinical trials update and cumulative meta-analyses from the American College of Cardiology: WATCH, SCD-HeFT, DINAMIT, CASINO, INSPIRE, STRATUS-US, RIO-Lipids and cardiac resynchronisation therapy in heart failure. Eur J Heart Fail. 2004;6:501-8. [PMID: 15182777] CrossrefMedlineGoogle Scholar5. Higgins SL, Hummel JD, Niazi IK, Giudici MC, Worley SJ, Saxon LA, et al. Cardiac resynchronization therapy for the treatment of heart failure in patients with intraventricular conduction delay and malignant ventricular tachyarrhythmias. J Am Coll Cardiol. 2003;42:1454-9. [PMID: 14563591] CrossrefMedlineGoogle Scholar6. Leclercq C, Walker S, Linde C, Clementy J, Marshall AJ, Ritter P, et al. Comparative effects of permanent biventricular and right-univentricular pacing in heart failure patients with chronic atrial fibrillation. Eur Heart J. 2002;23:1780-7. [PMID: 12419298] CrossrefMedlineGoogle Scholar7. Cazeau S, Leclercq C, Lavergne T, Walker S, Varma C, Linde C, et al. Effects of multisite biventricular pacing in patients with heart failure and intraventricular conduction delay. N Engl J Med. 2001;344:873-80. [PMID: 11259720] CrossrefMedlineGoogle Scholar8. Leclerq C, Cazeau S, Lellouche D, et al. Upgrading from right ventricular pacing to biventricular pacing in previously paced patients with advanced heart failure: a randomized, controlled study [the RD-CHF Trial] [Abstract]. Presented at the European Society of Cardiology Congress, Vienna, Austria, 30 August–30 September 2003. Google Scholar9. Higgins SL, Hummel JD, Niazi IK, Giudici MC, Worley SJ, Saxon LA, et al. Cardiac resynchronization therapy for the treatment of heart failure in patients with intraventricular conduction delay and malignant ventricular tachyarrhythmias. J Am Coll Cardiol. 2003;42:1454-9. [PMID: 14563591] CrossrefMedlineGoogle Scholar10. Abraham WT, Fisher WG, Smith AL, Delurgio DB, Leon AR, Loh E, et al. Cardiac resynchronization in chronic heart failure. N Engl J Med. 2002;346:1845-53. [PMID: 12063368] CrossrefMedlineGoogle Scholar11. Young JB, Abraham WT, Smith AL, Leon AR, Lieberman R, Wilkoff B, et al. Combined cardiac resynchronization and implantable cardioversion defibrillation in advanced chronic heart failure: the MIRACLE ICD Trial. JAMA. 2003;289:2685-94. [PMID: 12771115] CrossrefMedlineGoogle Scholar Author, Article, and Disclosure InformationAuthors: Finlay A. McAlister, MD, MSc; Natasha Wiebe, Mmath; William Abraham, MDAffiliations: From University of Alberta Hospital, Edmonton, Alberta T6G 2R7, Canada; University of Alberta Campus, Edmonton, Alberta T6G 2J3, Canada; and Ohio State University, Columbus, OH 43210. PreviousarticleNextarticle Advertisement FiguresReferencesRelatedDetailsSee AlsoImplantable Cardioverter Defibrillators in Primary and Secondary Prevention Justin A. Ezekowitz , Paul W. Armstrong , and Finlay A. McAlister Systematic Review: Cardiac Resynchronization in Patients with Symptomatic Heart Failure Finlay A. McAlister , Justin A. Ezekowitz , Natasha Wiebe , Brian Rowe , Carol Spooner , Ellen Crumley , Lisa Hartling , Terry Klassen , and William Abraham Cardiac Resynchronization for Heart Failure Mark A. Hlatky and Barry M. Massie Cardiac Resynchronization Therapy in Heart Failure Enrique V. Carbajal , Grace W. Huang , and Billy Hu Cardiac Resynchronization Therapy in Heart Failure Melanie Calvert , Nick Freemantle , and John G.F. Cleland Metrics Cited byCardiac resynchronisation for patients with heart failure due to left ventricular systolic dysfunction - a systematic review and meta-analysis 15 February 2005Volume 142, Issue 4Page: 307-308KeywordsHealth care quality assessmentHeart failureHospitalizationsStatistical dataSudden cardiac deathSystematic reviews ePublished: 15 February 2005 Issue Published: 15 February 2005 Copyright & PermissionsCopyright © 2005 by American College of Physicians. All Rights Reserved.PDF downloadLoading ...