The price and value of impantable cardioverter defibrillators in hypertrophic cardiomyopathy

Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) came to prominence in 1958 when Donald Teare described in the British Heart Journal its typical pathological features in 8 patients who died suddenly. The excessive risk of sudden cardiac death (SCD) dominated the early literature and contemporary 21st century studies suggest that the SCD rate is approximately 1% per year [1]. Ventricular arrhythmias are the primary cause of SCD and the development of the implantable cardioverter defibrillator (ICD) in 1980 was a significant milestone.
Source: International Journal of Cardiology - Category: Cardiology Authors: Tags: Editorial Source Type: research