Effect of cardiac resynchronization therapy on quality of life of patients with chronic heart failure

Aim. To study quality of life of heart failure patients who underwent cardiac resynchronization therapy. Material and methods. Cardiac resynchronization devices were implanted to 27 consecutive patients (69.7 +/- 11.9 years of age) with severe heart failure (NYHA class III-IV). Follow up period was 11.6 +/- 4.9 months. Changes of parameters of quality of life (measured by questionnaire SF-36), ECHO-characteristics (left ventricular ejection fraction, end-diastolic diameter, end-systolic diameter, pulmonary artery blood pressure, mitral and tricuspid regurgitation), six-minute walk distance were assessed at baseline and in 2, 6, and 12 months after implantation of resynchronization device. Results. Cardiac resynchronization therapy improved quality of life according to physical and emotional scales. Changes of the following hemodynamic characteristics were positive: ejection fraction (from 30.6 +/- 4,2% at baseline to 43.4 +/- 5.1, 46.8 +/- 0.3, 45.7 +/- 3.4% in 2, 6, 12 months after implantation, respectively), end-diastolic diameter (from 82 +/- 2 mm at baseline to 76 +/- 3, 73 +/- 2, 75 +/- 4 mm in 2, 6, 12 months after implantation, respectively), end-systolic diameter (from 56 +/- 2 mm at baseline to 53 +/- 2, 51 +/- 1, 52 +/- 3 mm in 2, 6, 12 months after implantation, respectively), pulmonary artery blood pressure (from 44 +/- 4 mm Hg at baseline to 35 3, 30 5, 34 4 mm Hg in 2, 6, 12 months after implantation, respectively), mitral regurgitation degree (from 2.8 +/- 0.2 at baseline to 2.4 +/- 0.2, 2.3 +/- 0.1, 2.5 +/- 0.3 in 2, 6, 12 months after implantation, respectively) and tricuspid regurgitation degree (from 2.5 +/- 0.1 at baseline to 2.1 +/- 0.2, 2.1 +/- 0.1, 2.2 +/- 0.2 in 2, 6, 12 months after implantation, respectively). Moreover, six minutes walk distance significantly improved (from 212 18 m at baseline to 270 +/- 14, 286 +/- 17 and 278 +/- 13 m in 2, 6, and 12 months after cardiac resynchronization device implantation, respectively). Conclusion. Cardiac resynchronization therapy improves quality of life of patients with terminal stage heart failure.