Cardiac Re-Synchronization to Be Studied

The University of Zurich has embarked on a large randomized controlled clinical trial to assess the clinical impact of cardiac re-synchronization therapy.

The worldwide study is the first prospective randomized clinical trial to evaluate the impact of cardiac re-synchronization therapy in patients with advanced heart failure, according to co-principal investigator Dr. Johannes Holzmeister, of the University of Zurich.

It is established that cardiac re-synchronization therapy provides clinical benefit for heart failure patients, Holzmeister said in a statement.

More than 1,000 patients with advanced heart failure will be randomized to cardiac re-synchronization therapy or no cardiac re-synchronization therapy, and patients in both study arms will receive an implantable cardioverter-defibrillator backup to protect against sudden cardiac death.

The primary objective of the study is to determine whether cardiac re-synchronization therapy will reduce the combined endpoint of all-cause mortality or hospitalization for cardiovascular events, said Holzmeister.