Identification of suitable patients for ICD therapy

Despite the results of randomized trials performed>10  years ago showing that prophylactic implantation of cardioverter-defibrillator (ICD) for patients with impaired left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) improves survival in both ischemic and non-ischemic cardiomyopathy [1,2], prophylactic ICD therapy has been challenged in the current era. It h as been proposed that ICD candidates today exhibit lower rates of fatal arrhythmias and have better outcome without an ICD than patients included in the seminal trials reported>10  years ago, most probably due to improvements in pharmacological and invasive non-ICD therapy.
Source: International Journal of Cardiology - Category: Cardiology Authors: Tags: Editorial Source Type: research