Primary prevention implantable cardioverter-defibrillator implantation in elderly patients: is it justified to withhold treatment?

Abstract

Implementation of primary prevention implantable cardioverter-defibrillator (ICD) treatment in the current clinical guidelines led to a significant increase in patients that may benefit from implantation of an ICD. Currently non-guideline-guided patient selection takes place by physicians whereby patients at higher age are more frequently excluded for ICD implantation. This editorial focuses on ICD treatment in the elderly and aims to clarify whether it is justified to withhold ICD treatment in these patients.

Keywords::

• comorbidities
• elderly
• implantable cardioverter-defibrillator
• primary prevention
• sudden cardiac death

Financial & competing interests disclosure

The department of cardiology received unrestricted research grants from Biotronik, Boston Scientific, GE Healthcare, Medtronic and St. Jude Medical. The authors have no other relevant affiliations or financial involvement with any organization or entity with a financial interest in or financial conflict with the subject matter or materials discussed in the manuscript apart from those disclosed.

No writing assistance was utilized in the production of this manuscript.