What are the clinical predictors of sudden cardiac death and appropriate shock in heart failure patients who are candidates for or recipients of CRT-defibrillators?
In heart failure patients eligible for CRT, advanced NYHA class and renal dysfunction predict sudden cardiac death, whereas neurohormonal blockade and female sex are associated with fewer appropriate shocks.
In CRT candidates, sudden cardiac death risk is associated with higher New York Heart Association class and renal dysfunction. In CRT-defibrillator recipients, reduction in the risk of an appropriate shock is associated with medical therapy with neurohormonal antagonists, female gender, and New York Heart Association functional class III versus IV clinical status. Shock therapy was associated with worse outcome.
Saxon et al. (Tue,) studied this question.