Cardiac electromechanical coupling: A multidisciplinary study

Heart failure is a fatal condition caused by a decline in the pumping function of heart muscle. It affects 1-2% of Canadians, and the only available treatment is a combination of five different medications that slow the progress of the disease. Among patients with heart failure, approximately 25% have impaired electrical conduction in the heart that negatively impacts the heart's proper pumping function. There is a new treatment for these heart failure patients, which uses a pacing device to `resynchronize' the heart's contraction. We bring together local expertise in myocardial mechanics and myocardial electrical activity, in order to advance the understanding of cardiac resynchronization therapy. We have formed a research group focussed on using state-of-the-art imaging techniques to understand how the heart can maintain its pumping capability in many patients with advanced heart failure. We plan to use this knowledge to design improved therapies for patients with heart failure and impaired electrical conduction.