Cardiac lead

Cardiac leads are medical device components consisting of insulated conductor wires that connect an implantable pulse generator, such as a pacemaker or implantable cardioverter-defibrillator (ICD), to the heart's myocardium [4, 9, 13]. Their primary function is to sense the heart's intrinsic electrical activity and deliver electrical therapy, including pacing impulses for bradycardia or high-energy shocks for tachyarrhythmias [4, 9]. These leads are essential in the management of cardiovascular conditions like heart failure and life-threatening arrhythmias [9, 13]. Many modern leads are steroid-eluting, incorporating drugs like dexamethasone acetate to minimize the localized inflammatory or fibrotic response at the tissue-electrode interface, thereby maintaining low pacing thresholds and extending battery life [4, 10]. Safety concerns associated with these devices include mechanical issues like lead fracture or insulation breach, as well as biological complications such as systemic infection or venous obstruction [12, 13, 14]. Because they are physical medical hardware rather than biological molecules, they are not classified as therapeutic drug targets in the context of molecular pharmacology [1, 12].

Other names

Pacemaker leadICD leadPacing electrodeCardiac electrodeEndocardial leadEpicardial leadSteroid-eluting lead

Physical conduction of electrical impulses between a pulse generator and the heart tissue; delivery of localized steroids to modulate the tissue-electrode interface and suppress inflammation [4, 9, 10].