Cardiac resynchronization therapy in becker muscular dystrophy.

A 44-year-old male patient with known Becker muscular dystrophy and concomitant non-ischemic dilated cardiomyopathy presented to our department because of worsening heart failure and presyncope. Upon admission, the patient was in New York Heart Association functional class III despite optimal pharmacological treatment; his ECG showed sinus rhythm with left bundle branch block and a wide QRS complex. Non-sustained ventricular tachycardia was recorded during 24-hour Holter monitoring.

Effective sleep apnoea treatment improves cardiac function in patients with chronic heart failure.

Background: Sleep disordered breathing (SDB) is highly prevalent in patients with chronic heart failure (CHF) and is associated with adverse effects on cardiac geometry and function. Continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) has been proved an effective treatment modality for obstructive sleep apnoea (OSA), whereas adaptive servoventilation (ASV) is more effective in patients with central sleep apnoea (CSA). The impact of selection of therapy and effective apnoea alleviation on cardiac performance and reverse left ventricular remodelling (r-LVR) has not yet been evaluated.