Real-World Long-Term Effectiveness of Implantable Cardioverter-Defibrillators in Elderly Patients

Because it is unclear whether implantable cardioverter-defibrillators (ICDs) are equally effective in patients of all ages, we investigated the association of age with long-term clinical outcomes of patients who underwent ICD implantation.

A total of 416 consecutive patients (mean age: 69 years) from 4 tertiary hospitals who underwent ICD implantation or were upgraded from an existing permanent pacemaker between January 2011 and November 2022 were enrolled and divided into 3 groups based on age: <65 years (n=158), 65-74 years (n=138), and ≥75 years (n=120). We compared the incidence of all-cause death and adverse cardiovascular events, including cardiac death, appropriate ICD therapy, and heart failure hospitalization. During a median follow-up period of 3.2 years (interquartile range: 1.1-5.6 years), 120 patients died. Older patients had a higher cumulative incidence of all-cause death and composite adverse cardiovascular events. The cumulative incidence of cardiac death and appropriate ICD therapies did not differ significantly; however, the incidence of hospitalization for heart failure increased with age. In multivariate analysis, age was independently associated with all-cause death but not composite adverse outcomes.

Age had a significant effect on subsequent all-cause death, but not on adverse cardiovascular events in patients with ICDs, suggesting that age should not be the only indication considered for ICD implantation.