Morphologies and prognostic significance of left ventricular volume/time curves with cardiac magnetic resonance in patients with non-ischaemic heart failure and left bundle branch block

Patients with non-ischaemic systolic heart failure (HF) and left bundle branch block (LBBB) can display a wide or narrow pattern (WP/NP) of the systolic phase of the left ventricular (LV) volume/time (V/t) curve in cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR). The clinical and prognostic significance of these patterns is unknown. Consecutive patients with non-ischaemic HF, LV ejection fraction < 50% and LBBB underwent 1.5 T CMR. Maximal dyssynchrony time (time between the earliest and latest end-systolic peaks), systolic dyssynchrony index (standard deviation of times to peak volume change), and contractility index (maximum rate of change of pressure-normalized stress) were calculated. The endpoint was a composite of cardiovascular death, HF hospitalization, and appropriate defibrillator shock. NP was found in 29 and WP in 72 patients. WP patients had higher volumes and NT-proBNP, and lower LVEF. WP patients had a longer maximal dyssynchrony time (absolute duration: 192 ± 80 vs. 143 ± 65 ms, p < 0.001; % of RR interval: 25 ± 11% vs. 8 ± 4%, p < 0.001), a higher systolic dyssynchrony index (13 ± 4 vs. 7 ± 3%, p < 0.001), and a lower contractility index (2.6 ± 1.2 vs 3.2 ± 1.7, p < 0.05). WP patients had a shorter survival free from the composite endpoint regardless of age, NT-proBNP or LVEF. Nonetheless, WP patients responded more often to cardiac resynchronization therapy (CRT) than those with NP (24/28 [86%] vs. 1/11 [9%] responders, respectively; p < 0.001). In patients with non-ischaemic systolic HF and LBBB, the WP of V/t curves identifies a subgroup of patients with greater LV dyssynchrony and worse outcome, but better response to CRT.