Are plasma natriuretic peptide levels influenced by automatic pacemaker algorithms for ventricular pacing minimization?

Background: Automatic atrioventricular search hysteresis (AVSH) is designed to reduce the cumulative percentage of potentially deleterious right ventricular apical pacing (VP%) in dual-chamber pacemakers. We investigated whether minimizing VP% by AVSH can, in turn, reduce ventricular wall stretching/stress, as assessed by plasma concentrations of the amino-terminal fragment of the pro-B-type natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP).

Methods: After dual-chamber pacemaker implantation in 81 patients (age: 69 ± 11 years; males: 55.

Reduction of right ventricular pacing with advanced atrioventricular search hysteresis: results of the PREVENT study.

Background: Right ventricular pacing predisposes to the development of heart failure and atrial fibrillation. Automatic atrioventricular search hysteresis (AVSH) is a commonly used strategy to decrease the percentage of right ventricular pacing (%VP) in patients without permanent AV block, but the results have not been optimal.

Methods: The randomized, crossover PREVENT study evaluated whether an enhanced AVSH with two new features can reduce %VP compared with standard AVSH.