Does Gender Alter the Efficacy of Implantable Cardioverter Defibrillators?
(Abstract 947-129) Implantable Cardioverter Defibrillators (ICD) can be a life saving therapy for patients suffering from cardiovascular disease with an increased risk of fatal arrhythmias. However, the majority of studies involve male patients and, consequently, much less is known about ICD efficacy in women. Researchers from Hartford Hospital in Connecticut and the University of Connecticut investigated the use of ICDs in women and found that females have significantly lower survival rates with this procedure than their male counterparts. The study authors reviewed previous studies on ICDs and evaluated five trials that met the following criteria: controlled trial versus standard of care, ICD as primary prevention, and available data on risk of death for both male and female patients. In total, ICD therapy reduced the risk of death by 24 percent in men, but only by 12 percent in women. “This study strongly illustrates that ICDs are not the ideal primary prevention method for treating
