ESC Releases New Cardiac Pacing Guidelines

August 29, 2007 - The European Society of Cardiology has released new ESC Guidelines for Cardiac Pacing and Cardiac Resynchronization Therapy. These new guidelines cover two main areas: The permanent pacing in bradyarrhythmias, syncope and other specific conditions like hypertrophic obstructive cardiomyopathy and ventricular resynchronization as an adjunct therapy in patients with heart failure. The guidelines also cover complex devices like pacemakers and cardiac synchronizers.

“Thanks to important developments in technology and advances in the essential knowledge which we now have concerning the physiology of the paced beat, patients with sinus node dysfunction and atrioventricular conduction system defects can now be given high quality therapy,” said Professor Panos Vardas, chairman of the ESC Guidelines for Cardiac Pacing and Cardiac Resynchronization Therapy. “These and other developments over the last few years have advanced electrical stimulation further into the realm of ventricular resynchronization as an adjunctive therapy for patients with drug-refractory heart failure and ventricular conduction delay.”

The Guidelines will be published in the European Heart Journal (European Heart Journal 2007 doi: 10.1093/eurheart/ehm305) and are available online.

For more information: www.escardio.org