Cardiac contractility modulation treatment in patients with symptomatic heart failure despite optimal medical therapy and cardiac resynchronization therapy (CRT)

A significant proportion of patients receiving CRT are non-responders. We evaluated the efficacy of Cardiac Contractility Modulation in subjects with reduced LVEF who, despite cardiac resynchronization therapy (CRT), continued to experience clinically significant symptoms. This was a multi-center, open label, treatment-only, feasibility study of 17 CRT non-responders who received CCM therapy. Changes in NYHA class, ejection fraction (EF), Minnesota Living with Heart Failure Questionnaire (MLWHFQ) score, and exercise tolerance (6 minute walk test; 6MWT and peak VO2) were analyzed over 6 months. Mortality and hospitalization rates were determined. Patients (82% male) were 69.4 ± 9.6 years of age with baseline EF = 22.8 ± 6.5%. Among primary endpoints, peak VO2 increased 1.1 ± 1.6 ml/kg/min (p = 0.03) and MLWHFQ improved (−16 ± 16 points; p