Can a new type of pacemaker treatment improve symptoms in heart failure?

AV optimisation delivered with direct His bundle pacing, in patients with heart failure, long PR without left bundle branch block: randomised multi-centre clinical outcome study 'The His Optimised Pacing Evaluated for Heart Failure trial (HOPE-HF)'

Dr Zachary Whinnett (lead researcher)

Imperial College London

Start date: 01 January 2016 (Duration 5 years)

Dr Zachary Whinnett and his team study heart failure, a serious condition with debilitating symptoms that has no cure. Cardiac resynchronisation therapy (CRT), a type of pacemaker therapy, is an important treatment for heart failure, improving symptoms, reducing hospital admissions and preventing people dying from heart failure. However, it only works in certain people with heart failure – those who also have a disturbance in the electrical activation of the main pumping chamber of the heart, called ‘left bundle branch block’. Some people with heart failure also have delayed activation of the chambers of the heart, the ventricles - this is called ‘PR interval prolongation.’ These people are more likely to have worsening symptoms. In this project, Dr Whinnett will test a special type of pacemaker therapy, called ‘direct His bundle pacing’, alongside a method for identifying the best pacemaker settings. He will test this in a group of people who have heart failure and a prolonged PR interval, but without left bundle branch block. He will find out if this new treatment can improve their ability to exercise and reduce the symptoms of heart failure. This research could reveal a new treatment for people with heart failure that could significantly improve their outlook and quality of life.

Project details

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