Treatment of chronic heart failure by the use of resynchronization therapy

Abstract: Chronic heart failure due to systolic dysfunction has been treated pharmacologically by the extensive use of ACE inhibitors, beta blockers, spyronolactone and digoksin improving morbidity, mortality and the quality of life as well as decreasing hospitalisation rate in the last decade. However, despite all the endeavors to optimize pharmacological treatment the mortality of the described syndrom remains unreasonably high and many patients suffer from severly expressed symptoms that considerably affect their quality of life. Thus, novel treatment modalities are being sought continuously and there is one, namely cardiac resynchronisation therapy which has gained increasing interest in the last couple of years.