Key result
Electroconvulsive therapy causes very rare serious cardiac complications in healthy hearts with no absolute contraindications.
Why the study?
Electroconvulsive therapy is associated with cardiovascular stress, renewing questions concerning its short- and long-term cardiac safety.
Does electroconvulsive therapy affect cardiac safety and physiological outcomes in patients?
Population
196 studies and case reports on patients undergoing ECT
Design
Systematic review
Authors
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Supports expanded ECT use in cardiac patients with monitoring; challenges historical absolute contraindications.
Systematic Review (n=196)
Does electroconvulsive therapy affect cardiac safety and physiological outcomes in patients?
Electroconvulsive therapy is generally safe from a cardiovascular perspective with no absolute cardiac contraindications, though risk mitigation and baseline troponin measurements are recommended for patients with prior cardiac disease.
Schnellbächer et al. (2025) conducted a systematic review in Psychiatric diseases requiring electroconvulsive therapy (n=196). Electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) was evaluated on Physiological and pathological effects on the heart and cardiovascular complications. Electroconvulsive therapy causes very rare serious cardiac complications in healthy hearts, with no absolute cardiac contraindications identified across 196 reviewed studies.
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