The investigators are examining the relationship between heart rate and heart contraction in patients with heart failure and pacemakers, aiming to improve quality of life.
Heart rate lowering is a cornerstone of the management of chronic heart failure (CHF) and the degree of lowering is closely related to improvements in longevity, hospitalisation rate and heart function. The investigators have shown that increasing heart rates using pacemakers does not increase exercise capacity in CHF patients. This might be because the optimal heart rate range for contraction is narrower for patients with CHF. At higher heart rates, heart contraction might be less strong. The investigators now want to examine the relationship between heart rate and heart contraction in patients with heart failure and pacemakers. Tailored pacemaker heart rate setting's, individually optimised for heart contractility as assessed by cardiac ultrasound, will be investigated to examine the effects on exercise tolerance .
Study Type
INTERVENTIONAL
Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Purpose
TREATMENT
Masking
DOUBLE
Enrollment
110
Tailored pacemaker settings, optimised for cardiac contractility: Pacemaker settings, optimised for cardiac contractility as determined by echocardiography, will be programmed
Leeds Institute of Cardiovascular and Metabolic Medicine
Leeds, West Yorkshire, United Kingdom
RECRUITINGChange in Exercise Time
Exercise duration in seconds
Time frame: Assessed following the second treadmill test, 1 week later
Change in Peak Oxygen Consumption (pVO2)
Peak Oxygen Consumption (pVO2) measured by metabolic gas exchange
Time frame: Assessed following the second treadmill test, 1 week later
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