Vitaminآ D deficiency and functional response to CRT inآ heart failure patients.

Abstract

Vitaminآ D deficiency has been associated with aآ poor outcome in patients with heart failure (HF). We examined the role of vitaminآ D in the response of HF patients to cardiac resynchronization therapy (CRT).The study comprised 50آ patients (30آ men and 20آ women) with HF undergoing CRT implantation who were prospectively enrolled. Response to CRT was defined as aآ combination of ?15% reduction in left ventricular end-systolic volume (LVESV) and ?10% improvement in the 6?Minute Walk Test within 6آ months. Patients were grouped based on their levels of vitaminآ D prior to CRT implantation. Clinical and echocardiographic examinations were performed prior to and 6آ months after the procedure.Of the patients, 11 (22%) failed to respond to CRT; two patients died within 6آ months and an additional nine patients showed no improvement in the 6?Minute Walk Test and no reduction in their baseline LVESV. A comparison was made between 25آ patients with sufficient levels of vitaminآ D and 25آ patients with insufficient levels. Nine patients (36%) in the "insufficient" group and two patients (8%) in the "sufficient" group failed to respond to CRT implantation (pآ = 0.037).Adequate serum concentrations of vitaminآ D play aآ significant role in improving the functional status of patients with systolic HF following CRT implantation.