Después del DANISH, ¿a qué pacientes indicar un desfibrilador implantable?

One third of patients with non-ischemic dilated cardiomyopathy (NIDCM) experience sudden cardiac death (SCD). Current guidelines recommend that an implantable cardioverter‐defibrillator (ICD) is used in NIDCM patients with symptomatic heart failure and a left ventricular ejection fraction ≤35%. However, although there is clear evidence of prognostic benefits in patients with an ischemic etiology, findings are not so consistent in those whose symptoms have a non-coronary origin. Results from the DANISH study (Danish Study to Assess the Efficacy of ICDs in Patients with Non-Ischemic Systolic Heart Failure on Mortality) suggest that ICDs do not increase survival in patients with NIDCM. To date, left ventricular ejection fraction and New York Heart Association functional class have been the key indicators for identifying NIDCM patients who are candidates for primary prevention using an ICD. Today, there are new drugs that could provide a greater reduction in the risk of SCD and alternative, more-specific markers that could give better risk estimates in patients. The aims of this article were to review and discuss studies on the use of ICDs in patients with NIDCM and to analyze the application of classical and newly emergent risk markers. Finally, an individualized SCD risk stratification is proposed for future use.

Supplement information: this article is part of a supplement entitled "Questions on a new era for heart failure treatment" which is sponsored by Novartis.