MARC-2
Research type
Research Study
Full title
Markers and Response to CRT in non-LBBB
IRAS ID
278762
Contact name
Archana Rao
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
Maastricht University Medical Center
Clinicaltrials.gov Identifier
Duration of Study in the UK
2 years, 0 months, 0 days
Research summary
Normally, the left and right side of the heart contract at the same time, so that blood can be effectively pumped to the body. Simultaneous contraction of both heart sides is the result of simultaneous electrical activation, originating from within the heart. Thus, simultaneous electrical activation of both sides of the heart is critical for normal heart function.
Life compromising health issues can surface when a patient has a heart in which both sides are not simultaneously activated. This is caused by an electrical conduction delay, which in turn can be caused by a variety of heart diseases. When both sides of the heart don't contract simultaneously anymore, the heart becomes something we call "dyssynchronous". When, as a consequence, the heart doesn't pump blood effectively anymore, the patient develops a syndrome which may be called "dyssynchronous heart failure".
When a patient is diagnosed with dyssynchronous heart failure, a very effective treatment called cardiac resynchronization therapy (CRT) is often indicated. However, with the current way of diagnosing this syndrome, up to 50% of patients currently receiving CRT do not get better. This asks for better diagnostic instruments to diagnose dyssynchronous heart failure.
QRS area ("QRS" refers to three points on the ECG that provide information about the electrical activationnos in the heart) is a very promising diagnostic marker for dyssynchronous heart failure and is easily obtained from the electrocardiogram. In previous, smaller studies, QRS area has already shown to be better than the current criteria for diagnosing this syndrome. In this study, we will investigate QRS area in an international setting with a lot more patients than previous studies, in order to confirm the superiority of QRS area in diagnosing patients with dyssynchronous heart failure so that patient selection for CRT in current practice can be improved.
REC name
London - Dulwich Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
22/LO/0100
Date of REC Opinion
10 Aug 2022
REC opinion
Further Information Favourable Opinion