Outcomes of Cardiac Resynchronization Therapy in Patients with Hypothyroidism and Heart Failure

Hypothyroidism is known to be associated with adverse clinical outcomes in heart failure. The association between hypothyroidism and cardiac resynchronization therapy outcomes in patients with severe heart failure is not clear.

The study included 1316 patients who received cardiac resynchronization therapy between 2002 and 2015. Baseline demographics and cardiac resynchronization therapy outcomes, including left ventricular ejection fraction, New York Heart Association class, appropriate implantable cardioverter-defibrillator therapy, and all-cause mortality, were collected from the electronic health record.

Of the study cohort, 350 patients (26.6%) were classified as the hypothyroidism group. The median duration of follow-up was 3.6 years (interquartile range, 1.7-6.2 years). Hypothyroidism was not associated with a higher risk of all-cause mortality in patients receiving CRT for heart failure. The risk of appropriate implantable cardioverter-defibrillator therapy significantly increased in association with increased baseline thyroid-stimulating hormone level in the entire cohort (hazard ratio, 1.23 per 5mIU/L increase; 95% CI, 1.01-1.5; P = 0.04) as well as in the hypothyroid group (hazard ratio, 1.44 per 5mIU/L increase; 95% CI, 1.13-1.84; P = 0.004).

CRT improves cardiac function in hypothyroid patients. The ventricular arrhythmic events requiring ICD therapies are associated with baseline TSH level, which might be considered as an important biomarker to stratify the risk of sudden death for patients with heart failure and hypothyroidism.