Optimising Pacemaker Therapy for Contractility

• Research type

  Research Study

• Full title

  The safety and efficacy of optimising pacemaker heart rate for contractility: effects on walk time, cardiac remodelling and quality of life.

• IRAS ID

  218963

• Contact name

  Klaus Witte

• Sponsor organisation

  University of Leeds

• Clinicaltrials.gov Identifier

  NCT02964650

• Duration of Study in the UK

  2 years, 11 months, 31 days

• Research summary

  We have demonstrated that we can reliably identify an optimum heart rate range for contractility of the left ventricle in patients with chronic heart failure (CHF). We have also demonstrated in an acute cross-over study that keeping the heart rate in this range (versus standard rate-response programming) in patients with CHF is associated with increased exercise time on a treadmill (around 60s or 10%). We now want to explore in a randomised, double-blind controlled trial whether optimal programming versus standard rate-response programming for 6 months leads to appreciable improvements in exercise time and quality of life, while having no adverse effects on left ventricular function and battery longevity.
  60 patients with CHF and a pacemaker will undergo our non-invasive echocardiographic assessment to establish the force frequency relationship and the optimal heart rate for contractility. They will then perform a treadmill walk test and fill out a quality of life questionnaire. They will then be randomised to optimal rate-response settings or standard rate response settings and followed up at 6 months at which point the tests will be repeated.

• REC name

  East Midlands - Derby Research Ethics Committee

• REC reference

  17/EM/0004

• Date of REC Opinion

  21 Feb 2017

• REC opinion

  Further Information Favourable Opinion