Implantable cardioverter-defibrillator (ICD) utilization for primary prevention of sudden cardiac death is significantly lower in Asia (~12%) compared to the United States and Europe (~45%).
There is a significant underutilization of ICDs for primary prevention in Asia compared to Western countries, highlighting the need for individualized approaches and regional recommendations.
In a contemporary setting, where the risk of sudden cardiac death (SCD) is low, heart failure management is improved, and technology is advanced, identifying the patients who would benefit the most from an implantable cardioverter-defibrillator (ICD) treatment for primary prevention remains a challenge. The prevalence of SCD is lower in Asia when compared with the United States/Europe (35-45 per 100,000 person-years vs 55-100 per 100,000 person-years, respectively). Nevertheless, this should not explain the enormous gap in ICD's utilization among eligible candidates (∼12% in Asia vs ∼45% in the United States/Europe). The disparity between Asia and Western countries, together with significant variation among the Asian population and the previously mentioned challenges, requires an individualized approach and specific regional recommendation, especially in countries with limited resources where ICDs are being extremely underutilized This review focuses on the current knowledge of ICD therapy for SCD prevention and how to improve patient and device selection.
Younis et al. (Tue,) conducted a review in Sudden cardiac death. Implantable cardioverter-defibrillator (ICD) was evaluated. Implantable cardioverter-defibrillator (ICD) utilization for primary prevention of sudden cardiac death is significantly lower in Asia (~12%) compared to the United States and Europe (~45%).