Age and Effectiveness of Implantable Cardioverter-Defibrillators
Authors: Frieder Braunschweig, Hans Wedel
Journal: Annals of Internal Medicine (2011)

Letters2 August 2011Age and Effectiveness of Implantable Cardioverter-DefibrillatorsFrieder Braunschweig, MD, PhD and Hans Wedel, PhDFrieder Braunschweig, MD, PhDFrom Karolinska University Hospital, SE-17 176 Stockholm, Sweden, and Nordic School of Public Health, SE-402 02 Göteborg, Sweden.Search for more papers by this author and Hans Wedel, PhDFrom Karolinska University Hospital, SE-17 176 Stockholm, Sweden, and Nordic School of Public Health, SE-402 02 Göteborg, Sweden.Search for more papers by this authorAuthor, Article, and Disclosure Informationhttps://doi.org/10.7326/0003-4819-155-3-201108020-00013 SectionsAboutFull TextPDF ToolsAdd to favoritesDownload CitationsTrack CitationsPermissions ShareFacebookTwitterLinkedInRedditEmail TO THE EDITOR:Although some studies suggest that patients aged 75 years or older derive benefit from primary prophylactic implantable cardioverter-defibrillator (ICD) therapy similar to that of their younger counterparts (1), consideration of age and noncardiac comorbid conditions is critical in the decision to implant a device. Santangeli and colleagues' meta-analysis (2) adds an intriguing observation to the ongoing debate on ICD therapy in elderly persons.On the basis of their primary analysis of 3 major randomized trials of prophylactic ICD therapy in patients with severe left ventricular dysfunction (DEFINITE [Defibrillators in Non-Ischemic Cardiomyopathy Treatment Evaluation], MADIT-II [Multicenter Automatic Defibrillator ...References1. Huang DT, Sesselberg HW, McNitt S, Noyes K, Andrews ML, Hall WJ, et al; MADIT-II Research Group. Improved survival associated with prophylactic implantable defibrillators in elderly patients with prior myocardial infarction and depressed ventricular function: a MADIT-II substudy. J Cardiovasc Electrophysiol. 2007;18:833-8. [PMID: 17537209] CrossrefMedlineGoogle Scholar2. Santangeli P, Di Biase L, Dello Russo A, Casella M, Bartoletti S, Santarelli P, et al. Meta-analysis: age and effectiveness of prophylactic implantable cardioverter-defibrillators. Ann Intern Med. 2010;153:592-9. [PMID: 21041579] LinkGoogle Scholar3. Epstein AE, Kay GN, Plumb VJ, McElderry HT, Doppalapudi H, Yamada T, et al; ACT Investigators. Implantable cardioverter-defibrillator prescription in the elderly. Heart Rhythm. 2009;6:1136-43. [PMID: 19539542] CrossrefMedlineGoogle Scholar4. Moss AJ, Zareba W, Hall WJ, Klein H, Wilber DJ, Cannom DS, et al; Multicenter Automatic Defibrillator Implantation Trial II Investigators. Prophylactic implantation of a defibrillator in patients with myocardial infarction and reduced ejection fraction. N Engl J Med. 2002;346:877-83. [PMID: 11907286] CrossrefMedlineGoogle Scholar5. Bardy GH, Lee KL, Mark DB, Poole JE, Packer DL, Boineau R, et al; Sudden Cardiac Death in Heart Failure Trial (SCD-HeFT) Investigators. Amiodarone or an implantable cardioverter-defibrillator for congestive heart failure. N Engl J Med. 2005;352:225-37. [PMID: 15659722] CrossrefMedlineGoogle Scholar Author, Article, and Disclosure InformationAffiliations: From Karolinska University Hospital, SE-17 176 Stockholm, Sweden, and Nordic School of Public Health, SE-402 02 Göteborg, Sweden.Note: Corrections based on Drs. Braunschweig and Wedel's comments have been made in the online version, and a Correction was published in the 7 June 2011 issue, volume 154, on page 780.Disclosures: None disclosed. PreviousarticleNextarticle Advertisement FiguresReferencesRelatedDetailsSee AlsoMeta-analysis: Age and Effectiveness of Prophylactic Implantable Cardioverter-Defibrillators Pasquale Santangeli , Luigi Di Biase , Antonio Dello Russo , Michela Casella , Stefano Bartoletti , Pietro Santarelli , Gemma Pelargonio , and Andrea Natale Age and Effectiveness of Implantable Cardioverter-Defibrillators Pasquale Santangeli , Luigi Di Biase , and Andrea Natale Metrics 2 August 2011Volume 155, Issue 3Page: 201KeywordsCardiomyopathiesClinical trial reportingConflicts of interestElderlyHeart failureSudden cardiac deathSurvival analysis ePublished: 2 August 2011 Issue Published: 2 August 2011 CopyrightCopyright © 2011 by American College of Physicians. All Rights Reserved.PDF DownloadLoading ...