[Cardiac contractility modulation for treatment of chronic heart failure]

The worldwide prevalence of heart failure is 1-2% with a portion of >10% in patients older than 70 years. In addition to treatment of causal determined factors and lifestyle modification, basic treatment consists of guideline-directed medical therapy with angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors (ACE), β‑blockers (BB), mineralocorticoid receptor antagonists (MRA), diuretics, digitalis (class IIb recommendation), angiotensin receptor blockers (ARB), Iƒ-channel blockers plus recently recommended in the guidelines angiotensin receptor neprilysin inhibitor (ARNI) to substitute the ACE inhibitor (class I b). Cardiac contractility modulation (CCM) is a device-based electrical therapy for the treatment of refractory heart failure symptoms. CCM signals are relatively high intensity, nonexcitatory signals applied during the absolute refractory period that have been shown to enhance the strength of left ventricular (LV) contraction and improve exercise tolerance and quality of life. The mechanisms of action appear to involve effects on myocardial gene expression and normalization of myocardial key-proteins. So far, more than 3500 CCM devices have been implanted worldwide. For patients with symptomatic heart failure and narrow QRS complex, CCM is together with baroreceptor activation the only additive electrical therapy which had been approved in Germany. Actually, for the first time, CCM has been referenced in the current Heart Failure Guidelines. Prognostic data with regard to mortality are currently being evaluated in case series; some of which have since been published. Approval by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is expected within the next months.