[Sudden cardiac death and decompensation of heart failure: how to reduce the risks. A review]

Area of Science:

• Cardiology
• Biomedical Engineering

Background:

• Sudden cardiac death and heart failure (HF) decompensation are primary causes of mortality in HF patients, particularly those with reduced left ventricular ejection fraction.
• Predicting and preventing these adverse events are critical for both medical and electrophysiological management strategies.

Purpose of the Study:

• To review clinical studies on implantable cardioverter defibrillators (ICDs) for sudden cardiac death prevention in HF.
• To highlight the role of multisensory monitoring in implantable devices for early detection of HF decompensation.

Main Methods:

• Overview of clinical studies on ICDs in HF.
• Focus on implantable devices with advanced multisensory capabilities for HF monitoring.

Main Results:

• ICDs are established for sudden cardiac death prevention.
• Multisensory monitoring in implantable devices enables early detection of impending HF decompensation before overt symptoms arise.

Conclusions:

• Multisensory monitoring in implantable devices offers a novel approach to proactively manage HF.
• This technology is expected to decrease HF exacerbations, reduce hospitalizations, and ultimately lower mortality rates in HF patients.