Cardiac resynchronization therapy.

Cardiac resynchronization therapy (CRT) is a recently developed approach to treat dilated heart failure with discoordinate contraction. Such dyssynchrony typically stems from electrical delay that then translates into mechanical delay between the septal and lateral walls. Over the past decade, many studies have examined the pathophysiology of cardiac dyssynchrony, tested the effects of cardiac resynchronization on heart function and energetics,tested the chronic efficacy of this therapy to enhance symptoms and reduce mortality, and better established which patients are most likely to benefit. This brief review discusses these topics.