Characteristics of a large sample of candidates for permanent ventricular pacing included in the Biventricular Pacing for Atrio-ventricular Block to Prevent Cardiac Desynchronization Study (BioPace).

Aims: The general clinical profile of European pacemaker recipients who require predominant ventricular pacing (VP) is scarcely known. We examined the demographic and clinical characteristics of the 1808 participants (out of 1833 randomized patients) of the ongoing Biventricular Pacing for Atrio-ventricular Block to Prevent Cardiac Desynchronization (BioPace) study.

Methods And Results: BioPace recruited patients between May 2003 and September 2007 predominantly in European medical centres.

Lower-extremity edema associated with gene transfer of naked DNA encoding vascular endothelial growth factor.

Background: Vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) promotes angiogenesis and vascular permeability. The extent to which VEGF may cause tissue edema in humans has not been established.

Objective: To evaluate patients undergoing VEGF gene transfer for evidence of lower-extremity edema.