Impact of Guideline-Based Medical Therapy on Malignant Arrhythmias and
Mortality among Heart Failure Patients Implanted with Cardioverter
Defibrillator (ICD) or Cardiac Resynchronization-Defibrillator device
(CRTD)
Abstract
Aim: To evaluate prevalence of heart failure (HF) medical treatment and
its impact on ventricular arrhythmia (VA) and survival among patients
implanted with primary prevention ICD/CRTD. Methods and results: The
association of treatment and dose (% guideline recommended target) of
beta-blockers (BB), Angiotensin-antagonists (AngA),
Mineralocorticoid-antagonsits (MRA), and Anti-Arrhythmic Drugs (AAD)
after ICD/CRTD implant with VA episodes and mortality was analyzed. We
included 186 patients, meanSD age 66.412 years, 15.1% female,
79(42.5%) implanted with an ICD and 107(57.5%) with CRTD. During 3.8
[2.1;6.7] (median[IQR]) years; 52(28%) had VA and 77(41.4%)
died. Treatment (medication, % of patients) included: BB (83%), AngA
(87%), MRA (59%), and AAD (43.5%). Median doses were
25[12.5;50]% of target for BB or AngA and 25[0;50]% of target
for MRA. Treatment with >25% target dose of BB was
associated with reduced incident VA. In a multivariable model including
age, gender, diabetes, heart rate, and medication doses, increased BB
dose was significantly and independently associated with reduced VA (HR
0.443 95%CI 0.222-0.885; p=0.021). On multivariable model for overall
mortality including age, gender, renal disease, VA, and medical
treatment; VA was associated with increased mortality (HR 2.672; 95% CI
1.429-4.999; p=0.002) and AngA treatment was significantly and
independently associated with reduced mortality (HR 0.515; 95% CI
0.285-0.929; p=0.028). Conclusions: In this cohort of real-life HF
patients discharged after ICD/CRTD implant, most of the patients were
prescribed with guideline-based HF medications albeit with low doses.
Higher BB dose was associated with reduced VA, while treatment with AngA
was associated with improved survival.