Background: The therapeutic strategy for mitral regurgitation (MR) in patients with advanced heart failure and wide QRS complex who are indicated for both intervention to MR and cardiac resynchronization therapy (CRT), remains unclear.
Objective: We aimed to determine electrocardiogram parameters that associate with MR reduction following CRT implantation.
Methods: Among the patients with advanced heart failure and functional MR who intended to receive CRT implantation, baseline QRS morphology, electrical axis, PR interval, QRS duration, and averaged S-wave in right precordial leads (V1 to V3) in surface electrocardiogram were measured. The impact of these parameters on MR reduction following CRT implantation, which was defined as a reduction in MR ≥1 grade six months later, was investigated.
Results: In 35 patients (median 71 years old, 18 men), 17 (49%) achieved an MR reduction following CRT implantation. Among baseline characteristics, only the higher S-wave amplitude in right precordial leads was an independent predictor of MR reduction (odds ratio 14.00, 95% confidence interval 1.65-119.00, p = 0.016) with a cutoff of 1.3 mV calculated through the area under the curve. The cutoff significantly stratified the cumulative incidences of heart failure re-admission and percutaneous mitral valve repair following CRT implantation (p = 0.032 and p = 0.011, respectively).
Conclusions: In patients with advanced heart failure and functional MR, the baseline higher amplitude of S-wave in the right precordial leads might be a good indicator of MR improvement following CRT.
Keywords: QRS amplitude; cardiac resynchronization therapy; heart failure.