Optimal Av Delay In Ddd Paced Patients With Dilated Cardiomyopathy: Short And Long-Term Follow-Up

In DDD paced patients the optimization of AV delay may result in a clinical and haemodynamic improvement. During one-year follow period we studied a group of pts suffering from dilated cardiomyopathy and advanced or complete AV block. In all patients the individual AV delay optimization improves the clinical and functional conditions on short time observation, while the benefits do not appear to be permanent on long time. The echocardiographic finding of a restrictive diastolic pattern may represent an index of a poor prognosis, which vanifies the benefits of this pacing mode.