Why is SCD-HeFT so important as a primary prevention trial?
There are approximately 5 million patients with congestive heart failure in the U.S. This is the largest single population of patients who could benefit from primary prevention of sudden cardiac arrest. In fact, people with congestive heart failure suffer SCA at a rate 6-9 times that of the general population and over 450,000 people die from SCA each year in the U.S., more than AIDS, lung cancer and breast cancer combined. Positive results from the SCD-HeFT study will reinforce the need to provide “preventive” ICD protection for these patients and could lead to revised medical guidelines and Medicare reimbursement in this huge patient population.
