URMC receives $27M for study into ICDs for heart patients

The University of Rochester Medical Center (URMC) has been granted $27 million to conduct a comprehensive study evaluating the necessity of Implantable Cardioverter Defibrillators (ICDs) in heart failure patients. ICDs are devices used to prevent cardiac arrest by correcting deadly arrhythmias, yet current data show that only about 1% of these patients receive lifesaving shocks from the devices annually. The study, funded by the Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute, will compare the health outcomes of heart failure patients treated only with medications like beta-blockers against those using both the medications and an ICD. Dr. Illan Goldenberg, the study’s lead, aims to challenge and potentially revise the current heart failure treatment guidelines, noting that approximately half of the patients receiving ICDs do not experience a significant survival benefit. The research will involve over 3,000 participants across 115 sites in the United States and Canada, with URMC planning to begin enrollment soon.

Source: Rochester First