Prolonged QRS duration in patients with heart failure: relation to exercise tolerance, diastolic function and aetiology.

Background: In patients with chronic heart failure (CHF) QRS prolongation is a frequent finding and is related to increased morbidity and mortality. It is not clear if prolonged QRS in CHF of ischaemic origin (CAD) represents the same severity of the syndrome as in non-ischaemic (non-CAD) cardiomyopathy.

Aim: To assess the relationship between QRS duration and BNP levels, diastolic function and peak VO2 in patients with CAD CHF and non-CAD CHF.