Implantable defibrillators improve survival in end-stage renal disease: results from a multi-center registry

Small retrospective analyses suggest that end-stage renal disease (ESRD) patients do not obtain as much of a survival benefit from an implantable cardioverter-defibrillator (ICD) as non-ESRD patients do. We aimed to assess the survival effect of an ICD in ESRD patients with left ventricular dysfunction.

Data from two registries identified ESRD patients with an ICD and ESRD patients with left ventricular dysfunction (defined as ejection fraction <0.35). Cox proportional hazards regression was performed, including certain predefined covariates to assess the effect of an ICD on survival.

Overall survival in the full cohort was a median of 4.7 years with 20 deaths in the ICD group and 29 deaths in the no-ICD group. The median survival in the ICD group was 8.0 years and 3.1 years in the no-ICD group. Crude analysis showed a better survival in the ICD group as compared to the no-ICD group (p = 0.016). The multivariable analysis confirmed that the ICD group had significantly less all-cause mortality compared to the no-ICD group (HR: 0.40; 95% CI: 0.19, 0.82; p = 0.013).

An ICD is associated with a higher survival in ESRD patients with left ventricular dysfunction. This result merits further study in a larger cohort of patients.