Stimulus intensity in left ventricular leads and response to cardiac resynchronization therapy.

Background: Increased left ventricular (LV) stimulus intensity has been shown to improve conduction velocity and cardiac output. However, high-output pacing would shorten device battery life. Our prospective trial analyzed the clinical effects of high- versus low-output LV pacing.

The relationship of bipolar left ventricular pacing stimulus intensity to cardiac depolarization and repolarization in humans with cardiac resynchronization devices.

Background: Myocardial depolarization can be altered by varying pacing stimulus output. This may have implications on response rates for cardiac resynchronization therapy (CRT). The purpose of our study was to determine the relationship of left ventricular (LV) pacing stimulus intensity to measures of depolarization and repolarization in humans with CRT devices.

Effect of comprehensive therapeutic lifestyle changes on prehypertension.

Although national clinical guidelines promulgate therapeutic lifestyle changes (TLC) as a cornerstone in the management of prehypertension, there is a perceived ineffectiveness of TLC in the real world. In this study of 2,478 ethnically diverse (African Americans n = 448, Caucasians n = 1,881) men (n = 666) and women (n = 1,812) with prehypertension and no known atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease, diabetes mellitus, or chronic kidney disease, we evaluated the clinical effectiveness of TLC in normalizing blood pressure (BP) without antihypertensive medications. Subjects were evaluated at baseline and after an average of 6 months of participation in a community-based program of TLC.

Utility of three-dimensional echocardiography in percutaneous closure of paravalvular leak.

The images and videos presented in this case report demonstrate the utility of live three-dimensional (3D) transoesophageal echocardiography (TEE) in guiding the percutaneous closure of paravalvular leak (PVL). This method provides high-quality real time assistance for transseptal puncture and deployment of the closure device through the PVL.