PMID: 16525222Mar 10, 2006Paper

Implantable cardioverter-defibrillators for secondary prevention: is it worth it in the elderly?

The American Journal of Geriatric Cardiology
Darren Traub, Leonard Ganz

Abstract

Aging is associated with structural alterations in the heart that predispose the elderly to life-threatening ventricular arrhythmias. The majority of sudden cardiac deaths occur in people aged 65 and older. As the proportion of elderly in our population continues to grow, a greater number of elderly patients with malignant ventricular arrhythmias will require appropriate medical management. Clinical outcome trials have demonstrated that implantable cardioverter-defibrillators (ICDs) improve overall survival compared with pharmacologic therapy when used for the secondary prevention of cardiac arrest. Despite proven efficacy, physicians may be reluctant to implant a defibrillator in an older patient. This review summarizes the data pertaining to the use of defibrillators for secondary prevention in the elderly. ICD use for secondary prevention reduces all-cause mortality and appears to be economically advantageous in an older patient population. Currently, there is no convincing data to suggest that ICD therapy should be withheld from a patient based on age alone.

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Citations

Oct 16, 2007·Der Internist·V Goede, M Hallek
Nov 7, 2006·The American Journal of Geriatric Cardiology·Nanette K Wenger
Jan 6, 2012·The American Journal of Hospice & Palliative Care·Balraj Singh, Jasmeet Singh
Nov 7, 2006·The American Journal of Geriatric Cardiology·Alfred E Buxton

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