Effect of pulsatile and non-pulsatile left ventricular assist devices on the renin-angiotensin system in patients with end-stage heart failure.

Abstract

Left ventricular assist devices have been successfully used as a bridge to cardiac transplantation. Because many patients exhibit marked clinical improvement of their heart failure after LVAD implantation, we studied the physiological effect of pulsatile and non-pulsatile devices on the neurohormonal axis and exercise capacity.